Sweet August
by sel1006
Summary: Chloe had never considered that a level of such unconditional love existed, but now she knows what all the fuss is about. She was made for this. Beca and Aubrey were made for this. Triple Treble (Aubrey, Chloe, Beca) babyfic. Super fluffy.
1. Chapter 1

The white noise of the baby monitor crackles, then tiny cries can be heard, but the two exhausted women in the bed don't notice for several seconds. Aubrey eventually is pulled out of sleep, and somewhere in her sleep-deprived brain it registers that her son is crying. Pulling her arms from around the woman next to her, she rubs her eyes sleepily, hearing another cry from the room down the hall. The woman beside her finally stirs with a quiet groan, but Aubrey stills the movement with a gentle hand to her shoulder.

"Go back to sleep honey. I'll check on him."

Chloe nods in response, nuzzling her face deeper into her pillow, too exhausted to consider leaving their warm bed, although she knows she will have to wake up sooner rather than later. Aubrey pulls the covers back, pressing a soft kiss to Chloe's cheek before getting out of the bed. In the corner of the room, their dog Reggie lifts his head from his bed, watching as Aubrey pads across the cool hardwood floor towards the nursery.

"Stay, Reg." Aubrey whispers softly as she slips from the room. The obedient Labrador mix puts his head back down, and Aubrey continues in the direction of the tiny cries. As she makes her way down the darkened hallway, she contemplates just how tired she actually is. The word itself no longer has any meaning. Tired has taken on an entirely new definition. The past seventeen days (well, eighteen if you count the nearly twenty-four hours that Chloe was in labor) have been the strangest, most exhausting, most exhilarating, and most terrifying days that Aubrey Posen has ever experienced. But as she enters the nursery, still wiping the sleep from her eyes, and catches sight of her crying son she knows – _knows –_ that the exhaustion is worth it.

August Mitchell Posen. Their son. Born exactly seventeen days ago. Five pounds, fifteen ounces. Although he was five weeks premature, he was a tiny, precious miracle that Aubrey didn't know she needed until she saw their screaming son placed onto Chloe's chest. Aubrey truthfully hadn't known what to feel about the impending birth of their child, but everything changed in the moment when they first saw their child enter the world. Something _shifted_ , and nothing else seemed to matter now that they were responsible for a tiny human. _Their_ tiny human.

"Shhhh August, mommy's here." Aubrey still can't get over how tiny he looks in his crib, but the angry cries intensify, and Aubrey swiftly bends down and carefully cradles him in her arms. Pressing a kiss to his tear-stained cheek, she lifts him to her chest, cradling him against her. One hand supports the back of his head, and the other pats a gentle rhythm on his diapered bum. Aubrey paces slowly around the nursery, soothing the baby, and in a few moments the baby has calmed. Once August has quieted down, Aubrey quickly and efficiently assesses the situation, trying to figure out what made him cry. Satisfied that his diaper is still dry, Aubrey sleepily blinks at the clock on the wall. 2:41am. It's only been just over an hour since his last feeding, but she knew that he would likely be wanting another meal sooner rather than later. Shifting the baby in her arms so that he is resting comfortably in the crook of her arm, Aubrey walks back to the crib, leaning down and picking up the pacifier from where it had been spat out when August started crying. As Aubrey prepares to place the pacifier in his tiny mouth, August yawns, the small movement bringing a sleepy smile to his mother's face. Aubrey bends and kisses his forehead, placing the pacifier in his mouth, sticking her index finger into the designated spot and feeling as August begins to suckle on it. She's hoping this move will distract him for a little bit and buy her some time before she must wake up a sleeping Chloe to feed him.

Aubrey enjoys a few quiet moments as he continues to suck on the pacifier, studying the little boy in her arms. It still doesn't feel real. In the past ten years, so many things had changed in Aubrey's life. She had entered a relationship with Beca and Chloe not really knowing how things would turn out. But the two women both had changed her life for the better, and even though their relationship was considered unconventional to many, it simply _worked_ for them. Aubrey had spent the first few years in constant anxiety, second-guessing how to navigate a polyamorous relationship. She still had those moments, if she was being completely honest. You couldn't compare Beca and Chloe, they were both so different. But they both complemented Aubrey's personality in ways that were perfect. Aubrey considers herself the luckiest woman, and with August's recent birth, the elation and bliss had increased tenfold. Her strained relationship with her father had made her question her ability to be a parent, but several discussions with Beca and Chloe over the past few years as well as recent months had eventually softened her anxiety toward the idea. Aubrey ten years ago would have stress-vomited multiple times at the idea of raising a child, especially with her two lovers. But now, with her son in her arms, Aubrey knows that everything had led her to this point.

Aubrey continues to pace slowly around the nursery in a circle. August seems content now, so Aubrey takes a second to push back the drapes and peeks out into the darkness toward their driveway. Beca's car is still missing, and Aubrey sighs, somewhat sympathetically, knowing that Beca would give anything to be home with them right now. August's early appearance had interfered with Beca's work schedule in that she had some gigs lined up in the months prior to his birth. Confident that Chloe would carry to term, the women hadn't seen there being any problem with Beca performing her monthly set at a local club. They had decided she would stop performing around Chloe's thirty-eight-week mark to take a couple weeks of maternity leave before the baby arrived, but August had other plans. Chloe and Aubrey had insisted they could deal without Beca for one night, so they had sent Beca off to her gig earlier in the evening, knowing that it would be her last gig for the immediate future. There had been a flurry of text messages right before Beca had gone on to perform, checking and double-checking that all her loves were doing fine at home without her.

Letting the drape fall back to its proper place, Aubrey returns to her slow circles around the nursery. After a few more laps, it becomes clear that the baby is hungry, and that she is going to have to return to their bedroom to allow Chloe to nurse. August begins to squirm against her, his tiny face turning towards her chest, searching desperately ( _and adorably_ , Aubrey muses) for some milk as he roots against Aubrey's pajama top.

"Let's go wake up mama, huh August?" Aubrey whispers, attempting to pacify her son before he starts full-on wailing as she makes her way through the dark hallway to their bedroom. "Almost there, just another minute."

Chloe feels the bed dip, the movement stirring her awake before the sounds of her son crying register in her exhausted state. Yawning, she forces her eyes open, blinking sleepily in the still dark room as Aubrey settles beside her. Rolling onto her back, she finds Aubrey sitting cross-legged on the bed beside her, attempting to soothe their son.

"Mhmm…what time is it?" Chloe's voice is raspy with sleep.

"A little after 3am." Aubrey replies, holding out their wiggling son. "Here, I tried to get him to sleep but I think its time for another feeding."

Chloe nods, and with a tired smile on her face, sits up, scooting back gently so that she is leaning against the headboard. "C'mere Gus." Not one for modesty, especially in the company of her girlfriends, she pulls the strap of her tanktop aside and reaches for her son, easily settling him against her breast. It takes a few moments for August to stop crying, but he eventually takes the offered nipple and begins to nurse hungrily at his mother's breast. Chloe can't stop the contented sigh that escapes her body as she settles into the bed and watches in awe as their child feeds.

Aubrey shifts on the bed, moving to sit next to Chloe, and wrapping an arm around the redhead, pulls her close so that Chloe can rest her head on Aubrey's shoulder.

"No Beca yet?" Chloe yawns, watching as Aubrey's fingers delicately trace the baby's cheek. Both women are anxious for the musician to return home. Having been home since August's birth, it feels strange that Beca is missing from the late-night feeding, a newly favorite tradition that had been happening for the past couple weeks. Although they were in a state of sheer exhaustion, these middle of the night feedings were a special and emotional experience, giving the three new mothers chances to bond with their son.

"No. But the club closes at 2am, I imagine she will be home shortly." Aubrey moves her hand to the baby's head, softly running the tips of her fingers along the tiny patch of light brown hair, reveling in the softness of it. Aubrey hoped that the color would eventually lighten into an auburn like Chloe's. "I miss her. I feel bad she had to go to work." Truthfully, Aubrey is thankful for her generous amount of maternity leave, knowing that she wants to be able to spend as much time with her girlfriends and child as possible.

"Me too." Chloe replies, lifting her head from Aubrey's shoulder so that she can kiss her girlfriend's cheek. She looks back down at the baby in her arms, content to study him for the rest of eternity. Blue eyes rake over the baby's features, taking in every detail of this perfect little creature in her arms. She knows he looks like her, she's heard Beca and Aubrey talk about how he has her nose, her cheekbones, her long fingers, but it still baffles Chloe that she carried and gave birth to someone that looks like her. It had taken them close to two years from when they began to discuss having a family to decide that Chloe should be the one to carry the baby. It wasn't an easy thing to decide. There were a lot of variables and decisions that had to be made. Being pregnant was the hardest thing Chloe had ever done. But even after twenty-two hours of labor and seventeen days of the craziest exhaustion Chloe had ever experienced, Chloe knows in her soul that she would do it again in a heartbeat. August was sheer perfection, and her heart melted hundreds of times a day as she held her son in her arms or watched Beca and Aubrey with him. Chloe had never considered that a level of such unconditional love existed, but now she knows what all the fuss is about. She was _made for this_. Beca and Aubrey were _made for this_. Tears begin to burn in Chloe's eyes as she contemplates those statements. Blinking them away, she smiles when August opens his eyes and she gets a glimpse of blue eyes staring back at her. His long eyelashes flutter as his eyes close as quickly as they opened, and he lets out a quiet grunt as he continues to nurse.

"He's perfect Bree." Chloe murmurs, shifting August in her arm so that she can intertwine her fingers with Aubrey's. Closing her eyes, she relaxes into the woman beside her, enjoying the intimacy of the moments like these. The only thing that would make this moment even more perfect was the brunette that was currently making her way home in the early morning hours.

* * *

Beca finishes loading the last of her equipment into the trunk of her car and closes the door with a slam. Reaching into her pocket she pulls out her phone and keys and opens the driver's side door and climbs in. She is still riding high on the adrenaline of performing live but knows she will be crashing soon. Checking her phone before she starts the car, her heart jolts at the picture on her lock screen. The photo, taken just minutes after August was born, was of Aubrey and Beca huddled around Chloe's hospital bed, all staring in awe at the baby on Chloe's chest. One of the nurses had snapped the picture and it gave Beca all the feelings each time she saw it. Feeling a tug to be home as soon as possible so she can be with her family, Beca turns the ignition and pulls onto the road.

After a few minutes the combination of the lack of sleep, the fading adrenaline, and the gentle movement of the car have gotten to Beca, who yawns loudly as she drives through the nearly empty streets of Los Angeles towards their house. She had almost canceled the gig after Chloe had given birth to August, not wanting to be away from her family for even a handful of hours. But Aubrey and Chloe were nothing but supportive of Beca's career, knowing how much she loved those nights of mixing at the hottest nightclubs in the area. The rush of performing live never got old for Beca, feeling the energy of the crowd as they moved frenetically to the beat of the music she performed. But now that she was a new mom, she was realizing the shine was fading somewhat, and that every second spent away from her girlfriends and son were pure torture.

Her _son_.

God, that still felt so fucking strange to say out loud. A wry smile appears on Beca's face as she contemplates that thought. She has a son. She is a mother.

She thinks back to eighteen days ago when the three of them headed to the hospital, not understanding the gravity of the situation and how it would absolutely change their world. And _Chloe_ , she had been a fucking rockstar, laboring for nearly a day in resolute determination. The last few hours of active labor were absolutely maddening for Beca and Aubrey, watching helplessly as Chloe labored naturally, trying to provide emotional support where they could, but not being able to take her pain away. Beca was sure that Aubrey was going to vomit at one point when a gut-wrenching scream came out of Chloe's mouth. But Beca watched with pride as Aubrey leaned forward, pushing a few sweaty strands of Chloe's hair out of her face and after pressing a kiss to Chloe's clammy cheek, nodded at Beca as if to say: "I'm okay, let's do this."

Watching Chloe labor was both mesmerizing and horrifying. Labor was fucking _gnarly_ , a visceral, almost animalistic process that Beca had never witnessed the likes of before. But time stood still when August's cries pierced the air of that delivery room, and Beca swore her heart stopped for several seconds, bewildered at the sight of their son being placed on Chloe's chest. She remembers how she was helpless as big gasping sobs seemed to fall out of her in that moment, tears burning in her eyes as she reached out to touch August's skin for the first time, feeling his back rise and fall with each tiny cry as he took his first breaths in the outside world. Then her heart seemed to go into overdrive, her eyes darting from August, to Chloe, to Aubrey, and back to August. Beca remembers just how full her world seemed in that moment. Full of indescribable joy and love.

Beca realizes she is blinking back tears as she pulls onto the street their house is on. Chuckling at how much of an emotional mess the past few weeks have made her, she reaches up with one hand to brush the tears from her cheeks. Her heart starts to beat faster as she pulls into their driveway, knowing that in a few moments she will be able to hold her family in her arms. The garage door opens much too slowly for her liking, her fingers tapping impatiently on the steering wheel as it slowly raises. Beca pulls into the garage, shutting off her car and hopping out, forgoing unloading her gear until later in the day when she's more coherent. Tapping the button on the wall to close the garage door, she passes by Chloe's and Aubrey's cars and opens the door to the house as quietly as she can.

She deposits her keys in a bowl on the counter and toes off her shoes, setting them neatly on the designated mat beside the door, a side-effect of living with Aubrey Posen for the greater part of a decade. She hears paws clicking softly down the hall and she smiles when she sees Reggie slowly loping towards her with his tail wagging. She squats down, content to scratch his face and neck for a few seconds. Reggie had been a rescue from Chloe's veterinary clinic a few years ago, and his playful but gentle ways had won them all over, although honestly neither Aubrey or Beca were capable of resisting Chloe's pout when she brought him home a few years ago. Reggie had become an integral part of their lives, adjusting nicely to the addition of a human brother in the past few weeks.

Straightening up, Beca gives Reggie one last pat. "Where are they Reg?" The question is somewhat rhetorical. She knows that in all likelihood her girlfriends will be in bed, with an even higher probability that August is sleeping in his co-sleeper beside them. Aubrey had been attempting to get them to put the baby in his crib more often, citing some nonsense about teaching the baby self-soothing skills, but in the early morning hours after a few night-time feedings, the fifty or so steps to the nursery felt like running a marathon, so the women opted to use the co-sleeper more often than not. Untucking her flannel shirt, Beca starts to unbutton it as she heads down the hallway to their bedroom. The door is partially open, and Beca makes sure Reggie enters behind her before closing it and turning to assess the sight before her.

It makes her face light up in a way that has only been happening since August was born.

Aubrey is awake, but only just so, and Beca knows that this is her stubbornness coming out in full force, not wanting to sleep before Chloe is able to. Chloe's eyes are closed, but the way she is still cradling August protectively against her breast, Beca can tell that Chloe is still awake. Aubrey notices Beca coming into the room and smiles tiredly at the brunette. Tossing her flannel somewhere in the general direction of the laundry hamper, Beca also pulls off her snapback and tosses it on the bed as she leans down to kiss Aubrey's lips in greeting. Pulling back with a grin on her face, she perches herself on the edge of the bed and wraps an arm around Aubrey's thin waist.

"Hi. Sorry I'm so late." Beca says quietly, turning her head to give Aubrey another kiss. "I missed you guys." She leans across Aubrey and gives Chloe's shoulder a gentle squeeze, trying to stifle a laugh when Chloe's eyes blink sleepily as she looks over at them. When her brain finally catches up, a smile lights up Chloe's face as she realizes Beca has come home.

"Hey baby." She says with a yawn, gingerly straightening her body against the headboard. "Come snuggle. Gus misses you."

Beca grins but doesn't need to be told twice. The idea of snuggling with her son and girlfriends is literally her idea of heaven on earth. Beca gives Aubrey a quick squeeze on her hip, then moves from Aubrey's side of the bed to the foot of the bed to take off the rest of her clothes. Beca grimaces when she feels how sweaty her tanktop is but taking a shower right now would mean more time not snuggling, and she just can't have that. Hopping on one foot as she tries to pull her leg out of her skinny jeans, Beca makes it over to their dresser, where she pulls out a clean tank top and a pair of sweatpants. Pulling them on as swiftly as she can, she crawls up the bed and settles herself next to Chloe, exhaling with a loud groan as she does, feeling her body relax into the comfortable mattress. Rolling onto her side, she props her head up in her hand and watches as August sleepily finishes his late-night meal.

Beca knows she's smiling like a total nerd and can't help but reach out and touch her son, running her fingers along his back, feeling the cotton onesie under her fingertips. Her fingertips move upwards, moving to run one knuckle gently along the pale skin of his cheek. Beca's smile grows wider as she feels Chloe's lips against her forehead.

"He's pretty great, right?" Beca's eyes pull away from the baby to meet Aubrey's. Aubrey nods, and repositions herself so she is mirroring Beca's position on the other side of Chloe.

"He's the best thing that has ever happened to me." Aubrey whispers, her face showing all her emotion as she cranes her neck to kiss the top of August's head. "I can't even put into words just how much I love him."

"That might just be the sleep deprivation, babe." Beca quips, with a smirk that quickly turns into a yawn. She can feel Chloe chuckling beside her as Aubrey leans across to give Beca a gentle smack on her hip.

Chloe feels August slowing down, eventually stopping his suckling and pulling away from her breast. His breathing evens out and he looks peaceful as he sleeps in her arms. She fixes her tanktop and draws her knees up, settling the sleeping baby against them. Knowing that she can't fight sleep for much longer, she picks August back up and motions like she's handing him to Beca. Beca responds quickly, wanting to hold their son for a few moments before they all succumb to their exhaustion. She accepts the baby, pulling him against her chest and cradling him close. She can feel his tiny breaths against her skin, and it feels pretty great. Beside her, Chloe scoots down in the bed, settling on her side and then reaching back to pull Aubrey's arm so it rests across her hip.

"You did real good Chlo." Beca whispers, pressing a kiss to the crown of the baby's head.

"I know." Chloe responds with a sleepy wink, smiling as Aubrey kisses along her neck. "It was a team effort though. I couldn't have done it without you guys. I love you both so much." She links her fingers with Aubrey's, pulling their hands up so she can kiss the back of Aubrey's hand. She drops their hands back to around her waist as her eyelids flutter shut, no longer able to fight the sleep. "I'm just so happy." She murmurs. "Really fucking _tired_ , but so happy."

Beca sees Aubrey smile at Chloe's sleepy admission, and her smile makes Beca's heart flutter. These moments with Aubrey are some of her favorite ones, where Aubrey is relaxed and completely herself with them. With a feeling of wistfulness, Beca turns and gently places August in the co-sleeper that is attached to the bed to her left. She watches for a few seconds, making sure that the baby is going to stay asleep. She leans down and kisses his forehead tenderly, then with a gentle caress along his cheek, turns to kiss both her girlfriends on their cheeks before settling on her side facing Chloe and Aubrey. She tugs on the blankets, making sure that Aubrey and Chloe are tucked in adequately before pulling them over herself. Beca closes her eyes, feeling absolutely content as sleep begins to take over. The last thought that registers in her mind before she falls asleep is that she is the luckiest woman in the world.

* * *

 **AN- Hey guys...this idea popped into my head the other day and I couldn't stop thinking about a Triple Treble babyfic. This is a oneshot for now, but am toying with the idea of adding to it in the future. Let me know if that's something you would be interested in.**


	2. NICU Nights

**Okay, so I'm definitely going to be posting more oneshots from this story. I just like the idea of them with a kid. Probably because baby fever is super real in my life these days ;) They will likely be out of order chronologically, as I'm just kind of writing whatever comes to me. I'll entertain the idea of taking some requests, if people would be into that. Ok...I think that's it. Enjoy this next story, I'm calling it "NICU Nights."**

* * *

The early evening sunlight is streaming through the large window in their hospital room, and Aubrey is enjoying the warmth as she sits in a chair, attempting to read. Attempting being the key word, as she has been sitting here for the past couple hours and has only managed to read a handful of pages. Her mind keeps drifting, replaying the past twelve hours in her mind. They have been parents for twelve hours. Aubrey turns her head from where she has been staring out the window not really focusing on anything in particular, to check on Chloe who is still fast asleep in the hospital bed. Aubrey's breath catches when her eyes land on the beautiful redhead across the room. Aubrey can't help but feel more deeply in love with the exceptional beauty who just gave birth to their child. Watching Chloe go through labor naturally was one of the most harrowing experiences that Aubrey had ever been a part of. Aubrey was sure that she would not have been able to get through it if not for Beca's support. But, the end result was a beautiful baby boy, and Aubrey knows that the trying hours of labor were all worth it. Chloe had been dozing on and off for the better part of the day, exhausted after the difficult labor.

The three women had only a brief time with their baby in the moments after he was born. Aubrey had spent most of the afternoon replaying and trying to memorize those fleeting minutes when they had first met their son. Given that he was five weeks early, he was having a bit of trouble maintaining his oxygen saturations as well as his temperature, so the doctors had decided to admit him to the NICU for observation and for some supplemental oxygen. Being separated so quickly had been traumatic for all three women, not wanting to have their son out of their sight now that he was finally here after nine months of waiting. Aubrey may have had a not-so-small panic attack as they placed August in an isolette and began to wheel him out of the room. She was torn, wanting to not take her eyes off their baby but also not wanting to leave Chloe, whose brilliant blue eyes were flashing in panic as their baby got wheeled away. Chloe had urged one of them to go with August, and thankfully Beca had the wherewithal to follow the medical team, but not before she gave each woman a quick kiss on the lips, tossing a breathless "I love you" over her shoulder as she jogged out of the room.

In the several hours that had followed, Beca had been back to check on the two of them a handful of times. The first time she brought coffee and some breakfast sandwiches, but Aubrey was too anxious over the separation to really do much besides take a few polite bites, although she was able to drink the coffee, thankful of the caffeine that was coursing through her veins a short time later. Beca had snapped a bunch of pictures during her first couple hours in the NICU, and both women perched themselves on either side of Chloe's bed to swipe through them multiple times, studying the tiny baby that now belonged to them, the pictures only helping minimally to reduce the pain they all felt at not being able to physically be with him. Chloe eventually began to cry softly, and Aubrey soon felt tears burning in her eyes as she had a feeling of complete helplessness about the situation. They stayed like that for a bit, comforting each other, until eventually Chloe drifted off in exhaustion once again.

The idea of August being in the NICU was in all honesty a lot for Aubrey to take in. Logically, she knew her son was getting the best care possible and that the stay in the NICU was mostly for precautionary reasons. But every time she thought about him alone and hooked up to wires and monitors the panic would begin to rise in the back of her throat. Emotionally, she just couldn't seem to regulate her thoughts, and that frustrated Aubrey to no end. Beca seemed to be handling things in her adorably flustered but also nonchalant way, and Aubrey didn't understand how she could seem so calm about the whole situation.

"Bree?" Chloe's voice sounds disoriented, and Aubrey is out of her chair immediately, her long legs helping her to cross the distance to Chloe's bed in only a few strides.

"I'm here Chlo." Aubrey sits down on the edge of the hospital bed, leaning in to tenderly kiss the sleepy redhead's forehead.

Chloe's eyelids flutter open and her blue eyes slowly focus on Aubrey's green ones.

"What time is it?" Chloe yawns out sleepily. "How's Gus?"

Aubrey picks up her phone from the bedside table, checking the time before opening the series of text messages that Beca had sent about an hour ago. She hands the phone to Chloe.

"He's doing fine. Beca is there with him." Aubrey can't help but smile as Chloe stops on the picture of August's tiny hand gripping Beca's index finger tightly.

"Oh my god." Chloe breathes. "That's maybe the cutest thing I have ever seen." The smile disappears on her face quickly as she swipes to the next picture of August in his isolette. "This is killing me Bree. I physically _need_ to hold him."

Aubrey immediately leans in to wrap Chloe in her arms, feeling as Chloe's hands clutch at the back of her shirt. "I know Chloe." She can feel Chloe stiffen with the movement, feeling the soreness from the trauma of pushing a baby out of her body. "Dr. Marshall says that as soon as your blood pressure evens out you can go down to the NICU and see him."

Chloe's face nuzzles into the side of Aubrey's neck and Aubrey can feel the long, frustrated exhale as Chloe's warm breath moves along her skin. "Beca is with him?"

With a kiss to Chloe's head, Aubrey nods in response. "She's been there basically all day. She should be back in a bit with an update though."

The women continue to embrace for several minutes enjoying the comfort of one another, finally pulling away when there's a knock at the door and Beca appears with a bag of food in her hand. She smiles at both women on the bed and holds up the bag in her hand.

"I was hungry and went out to Café Coronado to grab some Mexican." She enters the room and sets the bag down on the table. "I figured you two would want something to eat by this point." She bends down and gives Aubrey a peck. "How's my baby mama doing?" She leans in with a grin and kisses Chloe next.

Aubrey rolls her eyes, hating that expression, but knowing that Beca only uses it to get a reaction from her.

"I'm okay." Chloe answers. "Very sore and tired and missing him like crazy, but okay." She eyes the bag of food on the table and Beca gets the hint, going over and pulling out a couple burritos for them as well as a salad for Aubrey.

Aubrey is just about to say that she's not particularly hungry when Beca leans in close.

"I know you're probably too anxious to eat, but you need to Bree." She says quietly. "I got you something light. Please…eat something." Her blue eyes lock on Aubrey's, and Aubrey can see the concern in them.

Aubrey nods, thankful for Beca's consideration and support as they all try to navigate this unsettling situation. With a small smile, she gives Beca a quick kiss to thank her for being so considerate and gets up from the bed to help get the food ready for Chloe.

Beca is already several bites into her burrito by the time Aubrey sits back down. She picks up one of the plastic forks and puts a bite of her salad into her mouth. Her stomach rumbles, letting her know that she is hungrier than she thinks, and Aubrey eats a few bites before looking over at Beca.

"How's he doing?"

Beca chews the overly large bite in her mouth and swallows, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Aubrey will never get over Beca's horrible table manners and is constantly surprised by the amount of food the small woman can pack away, even after ten years together.

"He's handling the NICU like a champ." Beca grins, looking like the proud parent she now is. "The neonatologist rounded when I was there and said Gus still needs the extra oxygen, but they were hoping to wean him down in the morning to see how he handles it." She takes another huge bite of her burrito. "I may or may not have legit just stared at our kid for like four hours straight." The grin starts to slip, and Aubrey can see the cracks in Beca's armor for a brief second when Beca's eyes meet hers. "He's something else…I just…I love him so much. I feel bad that you guys haven't been able to spend time with him."

Aubrey takes another bite, chewing for a few moments as she thinks about why she hasn't been to the NICU yet. She has justified it so far as not wanting to leave Chloe alone, but if she is being honest, there's more to it. The idea of the NICU terrifies her, and the fact that their son is in the NICU is heart-wrenching. Aubrey absolutely _hates_ hospitals, and the area that is reserved for very sick babies seems like a place that would make Aubrey vomit from anxiety. She knows she needs to get over her fear, because August is going to be there for the immediate future and she is quickly reaching her limit for not being able to be near him. And Aubrey physically had no reason not to go see him. Poor Chloe _physically_ could not go and see him, and the idea of that was making Aubrey feel guilty. _Buck up Posen_ , Aubrey thinks to herself.

"I'm glad you've been there with him babe." Chloe says. "I think I'll be able to go in the morning to see him."

"Really?" Beca looks very excited at the prospect of Chloe having a clean bill of health. "That's awesome Chlo."

The three women finish their food and settle in for a while, flipping through the channels on the television to find something the three of them will agree on. Aubrey can't seem to focus on whatever it is they are watching (probably some scripted reality show if she knows anything about Chloe Beale), instead thinking about how she wants to go see August in the NICU. She turns her attention from the TV to watch as Chloe's eyelids start to droop. She smiles at Beca, who is sitting on the other side of Chloe's bed, her feet up on the bed and crossed casually at the ankles. It is amazing to think about how they arrived at this point in their lives. Ten years. So much had happened, careers, promotions, buying a house, and now they were parents. Aubrey looks at both women sitting beside her, feeling extremely thankful that they were in her life. They were both so beautiful that Aubrey sometimes couldn't believe they were hers. Chloe was such a light to them, radiating happiness and sunshine and positivity in everything she does. Her smile could light up a room, her easy good-naturedness and bubbly personality making people gravitate toward her effortlessly. Beca was a mystery to Aubrey at first, with both having personalities that just seemed to clash. But Beca and Aubrey were more alike then they initially thought, both fiercely protective of their loved ones, and being extremely driven when it came to their careers. Beca was sarcastic (which Aubrey still couldn't quite appreciate), but extremely intelligent and witty. Aubrey knew that their son was going to turn out to be an amazing kid if he turned out to be anything like Beca or Chloe.

"What're you thinking about over there Posen." Beca has taken her feet from the bed and is pulling the blankets up around a now-sleeping Chloe. "I can see the wheels turning." She walks around the foot of the bed and reaches out to pull Aubrey from her chair. "You okay? I know it's been a stressful couple of days for you." She pulls the taller woman in for a hug.

Aubrey is once again melting at just how good Beca is at reading her. She lets herself wrap her arms around her girlfriend, relaxing as she inhales and exhales to try and release some of the pent-up stress.

"I want to go see him." Aubrey says quietly. "Will you…will you go with me?"

Beca pulls back, studying Aubrey's face with a soft smile. "Yeah? Totally."

Beca turns to pull away, wanting to scribble a quick note to leave for Chloe but Aubrey quickly grabs her hand, pulling her in again and kissing her long and hard. Beca's lips move against hers and Aubrey can feel her stress melting away by the second. They pull away when there is a knock on the door, and Aubrey can feel her face blushing as a nurse enters the room.

"Oh! Sorry. Didn't mean to disturb you ladies." The nurse says with an apologetic smile. "Just need to check mommy's blood pressure again."

Beca runs her hand through her hair with a shrug. She links her hand with Aubrey's and pulls her gently toward the door. "If she wakes up can you tell her we went to the NICU?"

The nurse smiles in reply. "Absolutely!"

Aubrey lets Beca lead her through the hallways and toward the elevator. With every step they take, Aubrey can feel the nerves rising. Once they are on the elevator, Beca nudges Aubrey's side with their joined hands. "It's okay to be nervous Bree, but I swear, Gus is totally fine."

"I know Beca. It's just…the idea of him being alone in the NICU freaks me out."

The doors open, and they walk hand-in-hand toward the double doors that are labeled "NICU".

"He's not alone Aubrey." Beca gives her hand a squeeze. "I've been here most of the day, and now you're here, and tomorrow Chlo will be here."

"I know." Aubrey exhales. "I just _really_ hate hospitals."

Beca pauses at the door to the NICU, pulling Aubrey to a stop. She gives her a quick reassuring kiss, then turns to where there is a nurse monitoring who goes in and out of the NICU. Her and Aubrey hold up their wrists which have hospital bracelets emblazoned with "Baby Boy Posen" that match the tiny one on August's ankle, and the nurse smiles at them. The staff had been more than accepting of their unique parenting situation, accommodating the trio at all times.

"Back again?" The nurse looks at Beca.

"I just can't stay away." Beca replies with a shy smile. "And its high time he gets to spend some time with his other mom."

"Go ahead in ladies. Make sure to use the hand sanitizer right inside the hallway. Congratulations again, he's a handsome devil."

Aubrey manages to murmur a "thanks" over her shoulder as Beca's hand at the small of her back ushers her through the doors and into the NICU. The lights are dimmed, but Aubrey can make out several isolettes along the far wall. Beca leads her to where the hand sanitizer is located, and they both make sure their hands are adequately cleansed before Beca's hand is once again guiding her to the far right, toward the isolette where August is. A nurse in blue scrubs is peeking into the isolette, and Aubrey stops when she sees how unbearably tiny her son looks in the large plastic crib.

"Aubrey, this is Claire. She's the nurse taking care of our little guy." Beca introduces the two women, and Aubrey gives the young nurse a nervous smile. "How's he doing Claire?"

"He's doing great." The nurse replies. "I was hoping you'd be back soon because I've cleared it with the doctor, and you guys are now able to hold him."

The nurse's good news is lost on Aubrey as she steps closer, suddenly no longer able to stand not being able to physically touch her son. He has some wires attached to him and a small tube under his nose to give him oxygen, but Aubrey cannot believe how utterly perfect he is. She closes the rest of the distance, reaching into the small enclosure with a shaking hand to cup the top of his head, her eyes closing when she runs her thumb through the small patch of downy hair and along his forehead. Opening her eyes, she begins to study every inch of him, wanting to get rid of all doubt that her son was in fact, fine. Her eyes drift to study his face, taking in his tiny nose that reminds her of Chloe already, and his tiny mouth that was currently working on the tiniest pacifier that Aubrey had ever seen. His chest and belly were raising rapidly with every breath, and Aubrey had to resist the urge to lean in and press several kisses to his soft belly. She can feel the tears starting to prickle in her eyes, but she can't seem to take her eyes off her son.

Beca gives her girlfriend some time to check out their son before joining Aubrey, wrapping her arm around her trim waist and resting her head on Aubrey's shoulder. She reaches into the isolette, running her finger along the bottom of August's feet and watching as his toes splay out reflexively.

"How is it possible to be this much in love?" Beca murmurs. "I feel like my heart is going to explode."

Aubrey can't seem to find the words to reply, but feels a few tears slide down her cheeks. She reaches out to hold his hand, marveling at the tiniest fingernails that are at the end of each perfectly formed finger. August closes his fist around her finger, and Aubrey can't help the watery laugh that escapes from her mouth at the sight of her son literally wrapped around her finger.

"You wanna hold him Bree?" Beca nearly laughs at the look of panic that flashes across her blonde girlfriend's face. "Come on, you heard Claire, she said its totally fine." Her hand squeezes gently at Aubrey's hip. "I mean, technically Chloe was the first to hold him right after he was born, but I've been here all day with him and I feel like it's only fair that you are the one to give him his first _official_ cuddles."

The way Beca justifies things is adorable, and Aubrey can't help but nod in response, feeling butterflies as she realizes that she is going to be holding August in her arms shortly. A fleeting moment of guilt over Chloe missing out on this moment passes, but the reassuring grins from Beca and Claire make her realize she shouldn't dwell on it.

"Go ahead and sit down in that chair right there. It reclines, so go ahead and get comfortable." Claire urges gently. "I just need to get a couple of these wires set and then I'll bring him over. If you want to do skin-to-skin this would definitely be the time for it."

Aubrey heads over to the chair a few feet away and sits down, not quite sure what to do with herself as she waits.

"Take your shirt off babe." Beca reaches down and starts to unbutton the first couple buttons on Aubrey's blouse.

"Beca!" Aubrey smacks her hands away indignantly, feeling as her cheeks begin to blush. "Can you not do that right now?" She whispers.

Beca rolls her eyes at the dramatic response. "Calm down Aubrey. You're going to do skin-to-skin with Gus. Remember? We talked about this with Chloe when she forced us to sit down for, like, four hours to talk about her birth plan."

Aubrey does remember the conversation, and she also knows several statistics off the top of her head about how skin-to-skin contact helps parents and babies bond, but somehow whipping off her shirt in the NICU still seems very strange to her.

"Okay mommy, we're just about ready for you." Claire says quietly, as she leans into the isolette to scoop up August.

Aubrey decides to swallow her pride and begins to unbutton her blouse. Both women's eyes snap up to the monitors in panic when alarms begin to sound.

"Relax ladies, the movement is causing some artifact and that's why the alarms are going off." Claire assures the nervous parents. "Okay, I'm going to place him right on your chest mommy."

All the breath leaves Aubrey's body when she feels the length of her son coming into contact with the skin on her chest. Claire places him gently on her, then turns to grab a blanket to drape over the back of the baby and to cover some of Aubrey's skin as well. Satisfied that the baby is safely in his mother's arms, Claire leaves Beca and Aubrey alone, offering help should they need it.

Aubrey's heart is hammering in her chest as she finally gets to hold her son. August starts to fuss as he was woken up in the process and Aubrey instinctively rubs circles on his back to get him to calm down. She can feel Beca sit down on the arm of the chair beside her, but Aubrey feels incapable of pulling her gaze away from the infant in her arms. Beca's arm snakes around the back of her neck, her fingers tracing gentle patterns along her upper arm, and Aubrey briefly registers an uncharacteristic sniffle from the brunette beside her. She pulls her gaze away from August to look up at dark blue eyes swimming with tears.

Beca tries to brush some of the tears away, sniffling again as she does so. "God…I'm so emotional." She lets out a watery laugh and bends down to kiss August's head. "Just…being able to hold him now makes this all so much more real."

Aubrey feels like crying too. It truly has been an emotional day for everyone involved. She tilts her face up and Beca immediately leans in for a kiss. Beca pulls back and leans her head against Aubrey so they can both watch the baby as he falls back asleep. Beca wipes her eyes with the back of her hand a couple times. "How do the first official cuddles feel mommy?"

Aubrey smiles, knowing that she can't possibly put the feeling into words. Instead, she sighs contentedly, turning her head to the side to kiss Beca's shoulder and cradles her son against her, perfectly happy to do this for the rest of eternity. Maybe the NICU wasn't so scary after all.


	3. Shots and Stitches

**I'm so glad you guys are enjoying these stories. It has been very fun to write. There have been requests for the story of Chloe in labor, and I'll definitely get to that soon. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chloe could feel her legs burning as she pushed herself the last hundred yards down their street. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon and their neighborhood was quiet in the early morning hour. The redhead could feel the sweat dripping down the small of her back, her breaths almost gasps as she took her last few strides and slowed to a walk. Chloe enjoyed her morning runs, her time away from the chaos of working full time, maintaining healthy and loving relationships with her girlfriends, and raising a very cute (but full of energy) six-month-old. When August turned two months old, Chloe had gotten the all-clear from her OB/GYN to resume her morning workouts, and Chloe had been slowly working her way back into her daily runs. Sometimes Aubrey would join her, although Chloe found it hard to keep stride with Aubrey's longer legs.

Breathing heavily, Chloe pauses the music blaring in her earbuds and stops her workout tracker on her phone. Five miles. Not too bad, she muses to herself. She takes a few moments to walk the quarter mile or so back to their house, enjoying the sight of the pink-hued sunrise that was currently happening in the sky. Arriving at their driveway, Chloe stops for a few minutes to stretch her tired muscles. Glancing up from stretching her hamstrings, Chloe notices the lights are on downstairs, which is surprising given the early hour. Chloe was typically the only one up this early now that August had been sleeping through the nights for a few months. Wiping some of the sweat from her brow, Chloe heads down their long driveway and lets herself in the back door quietly, hoping to figure out the mystery of who is awake so early. Putting down her phone and earbuds on the kitchen counter, she slips off her running shoes and pulls out a bottle of water from the fridge. As she begins to drink the cool water, she hears a laugh and then music from down the hall. Putting the bottle down on the counter beside her phone, Chloe's curiosity wins out and she heads down the hall to figure out where the music is coming from. It's not unusual to hear music in their house given that Beca is kind of a big deal in the music industry, but given that it is 6:07am, that would definitely be considered unusual.

As she gets closer, Chloe's face breaks into a smile as she can hear the opening chords to one of her favorite songs of Beca's. She heads to the back room which has been turned into a home studio for Beca, complete with a baby grand piano. She pauses in the doorway, content to listen to the beautiful music flowing from the piano. Chloe easily recognizes the tune, knowing that it came off Beca's first studio album, and she hums along quietly as she peeks into the room.

Beca's back is to her as her fingers dance effortlessly along the keys of the piano. Upon closer inspection, Chloe notices that Beca is playing one-handed, her left hand missing from view. It's only when the melody falters for a second as random dissonant notes start to play and Beca tilts her head back to laugh that Chloe hears the telltale shriek of happiness from their son. Chloe is about to enter the room to join the impromptu concert when she hears Beca's voice speaking to their child softly.

"That was pretty good Gus!" Chloe can hear the brunette encouraging the baby. "Before you know it you'll be able to play mama's favorite song." Beca leans forward, tickling the baby with her hands and enjoying the giggles that immediately follow. August's small hands reach towards the piano again and he smashes his hands on the keys, shrieking happily as he does so. Beca laughs again, the musical sound traveling toward Chloe who starts to laugh from her spot leaning against the doorframe. Her laugh tips off her presence, and Beca turns slightly on the piano bench, a wide grin appearing on her face.

"Hey mama!" She spins around fully and holds August up, so he is standing on her thighs. "Gus here woke up _super_ early for some reason, so we decided to come down here and work on his first collaboration."

August's face lights up when he sees Chloe, his mouth opening widely to show off his two new bottom teeth as he waves his arms excitedly. His blue eyes almost disappear because he is smiling so widely, and Chloe can't help but laugh as she crosses the room to take her happy son from Beca.

"Good morning handsome!" Chloe peppers the baby's face with kisses for a few seconds before setting him on her hip. "Were you having fun with mom?" She sits down on the bench beside Beca, who spins back around so they are all facing the keyboard. Placing another kiss to the crown of August's head, she leans her head on Beca's shoulder. "Will you play some more?"

Beca shrugs as her fingers rest atop the keys in preparation. "Anything for two of my faves." Her fingers begin to move over ivory again and Chloe lets the soft music wash over her as August settles in her arms, his thumb immediately going into his mouth. Chloe loves moments like this, being reminded of when Beca used to play piano for her and Aubrey during the later stages of her pregnancy. Chloe had sworn that the music calmed the baby down, and the three women would often spend late nights and early mornings down here, listening as Beca played through various songs as the mood would strike. The effect seemed to be still present, with Gus currently resting contentedly in Chloe's arms as they both listened to the music. Beca plays through an entire song before switching to another familiar one that she had been working on lately. The melody wasn't quite set in stone yet, and Chloe was impressed as she watched Beca's fingers dance along the keys, adding some improvisation and embellishments to the tune she was workshopping. Chloe would forever be in awe of Beca's prodigy-like talent, and the clever lyrics that she wrote to go along with hundreds of melodies were just further extension of her intelligence and aptitude.

Chloe feels hands resting on her shoulders and she instinctively leans back into the touch, her head coming into contact with Aubrey's abdomen.

"Seems like I missed the invite to this private concert." Aubrey bends at the waist so she can kiss the tops of Beca and Chloe's heads.

Beca stops playing, turning her head to look at the blonde woman. "Did we wake you?"

Aubrey nods but cuts Beca off before she can apologize. "It's fine Beca. My alarm was just about to go off anyway. I have to be in court early today." She sighs, moving to pick up Gus from Chloe's lap. "Good morning August." She laughs as Gus launches himself forward in her arms with the spastic coordination of a six-month-old and gives her a drool-laden kiss. "Aww, thanks for the kiss."

Beca and Chloe are amused to watch Aubrey's interactions with their son. They both agree that being a parent has relaxed Aubrey in some ways, and as they watch as a large strand of drool drops onto Aubrey's pajama top without her giving it a second thought, this point seems to be well-established. She was forever the voice of reason though, wanting to be a "by-the-book" parent. Six months in and she was still on her crusade to call him by his given name, refusing to use his nickname for reasons unknown to her girlfriends. Aubrey Posen had a stubborn streak a mile wide, that much was evident. But her parenting methods were tempered by Beca and Chloe's more relaxed and carefree attitudes, and the three women had slipped seamlessly into co-parenting their son as the months passed since August's birth.

"I'm going to give him a bottle and then I need to get ready for work." Aubrey gives each woman a peck on the forehead as she exits the room. "Don't forget about August's doctor's appointment later."

Chloe watches her blonde girlfriend walk away and rests her head on Beca's shoulder again. She knows she needs to get a move on too, needing to hop in the shower and get ready for work. But she is happy to link her fingers with Beca's and sit with her girlfriend in the quiet room.

"You're awfully quiet this morning." Beca muses. "Have a good run?"

"Mhmm." Chloe hums in response. "Five miles."

"Damn Chlo." Beca pokes her own stomach with her finger. "Maybe I should take up running now that I'm almost thirty. I'm starting to realize that all that Taco Bell _probably_ wasn't the best choice over the years."

Chloe laughs, knowing that Beca is sporting a perfectly flat stomach under the black V-neck and baggy sweatpants she wore to bed. "Maybe we can put that jogging stroller to good use."

Beca groans. "Yeah sure…like _that_ won't make all my street cred go right out the window." She stands and pulls Chloe up beside her, leaning in to kiss her once she is standing. "I have standards to uphold you know." She says with a smirk. "I'm Beca Mitchell, six-time Grammy winner."

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Oh, do you? You have standards, huh?"

"Yup." Beca replies, leaning in for one last kiss before she heads to put some coffee on.

Chloe follows her down the hallway toward the kitchen, never wanting to miss out on an opportunity to tease her girlfriend. "Hey Becs, I wonder how taking Gus to his pediatrician's appointment solo will affect your so-called street cred."

Beca fills the coffeemaker with water as she scoffs. "Oh, come on, I take him places all the time. Taking him to the doctor will be a piece of cake."

Chloe laughs. "I hope the paparazzi get several shots of you in full-on mommy mode."

Beca's eyes roll as Chloe wraps her arms around her waist from behind and rests her chin on the smaller woman's shoulder.

"Seriously though Becs, I can rearrange my clinic schedule today if you want me to be there. I know how much you hate the doctor."

After finishing scooping the coffee into the proper place, Beca closes the container of coffee grounds and slides it to the side, turning in Chloe's arms once she has done so. "I appreciate that babe." She emphasizes her point with a quick peck. "But me and Gus will be totally fine. It's a six-month checkup. What can go wrong?"

* * *

Several hours later, after a mid-morning nap, Beca and August are pacing in the waiting room of the pediatrician's office, Beca bouncing the baby slightly in her arms as she walks the length of the room. August had been unusually grumpy after his nap, which Beca attributed to the two top teeth that were starting to peek through his gums. She had tried to get him to fall asleep in the stroller as they entered the medical office, but that had immediately backfired, with August crying until she picked him up and began to walk around.

"Okay dude, you gotta do me a solid here." Beca shifts the baby to her other hip. "Just be cool and then we can go home and cuddle, okay?"

August shoots her an adorable smile showing off his two new teeth and Beca thinks she's off the hook for the time being. Praying to the gods that her son behaves for the doctor, she hears their name being called and goes to collect the stroller and the diaper bag before following the nurse down the hallway to an exam room. Once they were settled in the room, the nurse asked her to strip August down to his diaper and then assures them the pediatrician will be in to see them soon. Beca follows instructions, pulling off his sweater, pants, and onesie, and holding him in her arms as they wait, clad in only a diaper.

"Damn kid, what are we feeding you?" Beca can't help but laugh at her son's belly and chubby thighs as he squirms on her lap. She picks him up and holds him at face- level so she can blow a loud raspberry on his tummy, laughing again when his legs kick, and he giggles in response. He grabs a fistful of her hair and tries to stuff it in his mouth. "Oh gross." Beca pulls her son back down to her lap, attempting to free the strands of hair from his grasp. "Please don't get drool in my hair Gus."

There is a knock at the door a few seconds later and their pediatrician, Dr. Peters, enters the room with a big smile. The middle-aged man pulls the stethoscope from around his neck and reaches out to take the baby from Beca.

"Hi guys! Good to see you again." The doctor sits August down on the large exam table that is covered in paper. "We're here for a six-month checkup, right?"

"That's right." Beca replies, watching nervously as the doctor surreptitiously begins to examine her son. August seems happy to receive the attention from Dr. Peters, but Beca knew that could change in a matter of seconds.

Dr. Peters flips through the chart on the exam table for a few seconds. "Looks as though he is growing appropriately. He's in the eightieth percentile for weight and the seventy-second percentile for height."

Beca doesn't really know what the doctor is referring to. "That's...good, right?"

"Oh yes. Very good." Dr. Peters shines a light in August's eyes, and August squawks indignantly at the bright light. "I see he's got a couple teeth with a couple others ready to come in." He picks up his stethoscope and leans in to listen to August's heart and lungs.

Beca nods, walking over to the exam table so she can help hold her squirming child still. "He got the bottom ones a few weeks ago. He's definitely been grumpier the past few days, so those top ones look like they're not far behind." She makes a silly face at August, who coos in return.

"Well, it seems as though August is definitely hitting his milestones appropriately. He's the picture of health. Do you have any concerns?"

Thinking for a few seconds, wanting to make sure there wasn't anything that Aubrey or Chloe had wanted her to mention, Beca eventually shakes her head, wanting to scoop her son up and hightail it out of there before he had a meltdown. "No, he's been great."

Dr. Peters nods. "That's great." He flips through a couple pages of the chart again. "According to our records, he is due for a few standard vaccines. I'll have the nurse get them ready and then we'll be back in shortly."

Beca's heart drops when she hears that shots are involved. "He needs shots?"

Dr. Peters gives her a sympathetic smile. "Unfortunately, yes. Most kids typically get two or three at their six-month visit."

Beca tries to quell her rising panic, knowing that this situation was going to blow up in her face in a mere matter of minutes. She herself hated needles and having to hold down her son while he had three of them jabbed into his tiny limbs seemed like cruel and unusual punishment.

"I should have had Chlo come with me." She mutters under her breath. The pediatrician leaves the room and Beca picks up August, wanting to hold him for a few moments before all hell broke loose. "I'm so sorry Gus. This is gonna suck kiddo."

To his credit, Gus seems blissfully unaware of what is about to happen as he jams his thumb in his mouth and begins to suck on it. A few seconds later, there's another knock, and Dr. Peters returns with the nurse who has three offending objects in her hand.

"Okay Ms. Mitchell, if you could just put him back down on the exam table we'll try and make this as quick and painless as possible." The nurse suggests. "It's usually helpful if you want to stay by his head and hold his arms."

Beca swallows nervously at the three syringes in the nurse's hand. "O-okay." She manages to stammer out, her knees suddenly feeling like jelly as she places August down on the table, leaning to give him a quick kiss on the forehead before moving over so the nurse can have access to her son. Beca's head begins to swim as the nurse rips open a few alcohol swabs and rubs them along August's chubby thighs.

"Okay, is everyone ready?" Dr. Peters asks, picking up one of the syringes. "We'll do all three in quick succession. One…two…three."

"Oh god." Beca's brain briefly registers the needle piercing her poor son's skin and the wail that immediately follows, but things turn fuzzy and everything goes black.

Dr. Peters is astounded when he sees Beca faint dead away, dropping to the floor before anyone can make a move to catch the woman, her head making contact with the corner of the exam table on the way down with a sickening crack.

* * *

Chloe is in minor panic mode when she pulls up in front of the hospital, quickly shutting off her car and jogging toward the hospital entrance. A short while ago she had received a call saying that Beca had injured herself and she needed to pick up August at the pediatrician's office before going to the Emergency Room where Beca was likely receiving stitches. Chloe is immensely thankful of her scrubs and sneakers as she jogs through the hospital, heading first to the medical offices where Dr. Peters is located. After a quick elevator ride, Chloe is pulling the doors to the office open, and looking around breathlessly for her son. She immediately hears him crying, and locates him in the waiting room, being held by a nurse who is attempting to soothe the baby, without much success.

"I'm sorry, I came as quickly as I could." Chloe apologizes, immediately reaching to pick up her son from the nurse's arms and placing a few kisses on his red and tearstained cheeks. "It's okay Gus, mama's got you now." She places him against her shoulder, cradling him closely and rubbing his back which is still shuddering with sobs. "Thank you so much for watching him until I got here. What happened?"

The nurse stands, pushing the stroller towards Chloe and placing the diaper bag inside the stroller. "Everything was fine until she got one look at the shots we were giving your little man. Passed out without any warning." The nurse's expression is one of surprise. "I've never seen anyone hit the floor like that." Seeing Chloe's stricken expression, she reaches out and places her hand on Chloe's forearm. "Don't worry, she's okay. They took her down to the emergency room for some concussion testing and some stitches. Head on down to the first floor and follow the signs for Emergency."

Chloe takes a deep breath and releases it with a grateful nod. "Thank you so much for keeping an eye on him."

"No problem Ms. Beale." The nurse holds the office door open for Chloe, who manages to maneuver the stroller out of the office with August on her hip. The two of them make their way down to the first floor, August calming considerably by the time they arrived at the Emergency Department. She kisses his temple as she waits in line at the reception desk, hoping they can go back immediately to where Beca is being treated. She feels August nuzzle against her neck as he rubs his eyes, evidently on the verge of sleep after a traumatic experience getting his shots. After a few moments they reach the front of the line.

"Hi, my girlfriend was brought down here, Beca Mitchell. September 22nd, 1992. I'd like to see her."

The receptionist taps her keyboard for a few seconds, evidently trying to locate where Beca is in the department.

"Oh…found her. She's in room eleven, go through those double doors and take a left. It's the second room on the left."

Chloe gives the receptionist a grateful smile. "Thank you so much." She pushes the stroller in front of her as the doors open, and they make their way down the hallway toward the room where Beca is. It doesn't take long for Chloe to locate her, and she pushes the curtain aside to peek into the area, immediately seeing Beca resting on a stretcher with her eyes closed. Chloe enters the small room, her eyes darting to the gash on Beca's eyebrow, a painful looking bruise already forming underneath the area.

"Oh…babe…." Chloe breathes out, walking to the edge of the stretcher and gripping the rail. Tears start to burn in her eyes when she gets a better look at the jagged cut on her girlfriend's face and the dried blood in trails down her pale cheek. She leans over the bed, brushing a few strands of Beca's hair from her forehead, which causes Beca to stir.

Beca seems disoriented for a moment, her blue eyes struggling to focus as she winces against the bright lights. But she registers that Chloe and August are there, and she lets her head fall back against the pillow, closing her eyes again. She relaxes as she feels Chloe's lips against hers in a gentle kiss.

"What happened Becs?" Chloe sits down in the chair beside Beca's stretcher, settling the sleeping baby comfortably before reaching out to hold Beca's hand. She watches as Beca's brow furrows, trying to recall the events that led them here.

"I passed out apparently." Beca mumbles groggily. "They gave Gus three shots and that's the last thing I remember." Her eyes open in a panic and she struggles to sit up on the stretcher. "Wait…he's okay, right?" She frantically examines the sleeping baby in her girlfriend's arms. "Oh fuck! I probably traumatized him for life." She rubs a hand down her face in frustration, grimacing at first with a sharp inhale when she touches too close to her cut.

Chloe reaches out and grasps Beca's shoulder giving a gentle squeeze. "He's fine babe." She attempts to gently push Beca back so she's lying down. "He was upset when I got there but I think that was just because he was with strangers."

The brunette exhales with a groan, taking Chloe's hand in hers again. She feels Chloe's thumb rubbing soothing circles along the back of her hand. Lolling her head to the side, she looks at her amazing girlfriend, feeling guilty about making her leave her veterinary practice early. "I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare apologize Beca Mitchell." Chloe frowns, picking up their hands to give Beca's a kiss. "You couldn't have prevented this from happening. I'm just glad you're okay."

The doctor comes in a few moments later, providing Chloe with an update on Beca's condition. Beca had suffered a minor concussion and was going to need some stitches to close the wound on her eyebrow. As he started gathering items to suture the wound, Chloe decides to put August into the stroller so she could focus on comforting Beca through the minor procedure. All this medical stuff is second nature to Chloe given her career, but she knows Beca was freaking out about having more needles, this time in her face. Chloe settles in the chair beside the stretcher again, pulling it as close to the bed as she can and picking up Beca's hand and clutching it between hers. Beca's eyes dart to hers, her apprehension evident as the doctor picks up a syringe full of lidocaine to numb the area.

"Close your eyes Beca." Chloe urges gently. "Breathe babe, just breathe."

Beca's jaw clenches several times as the doctor begins to numb the area, feeling a burn from the needle as well as the medication. When the doctor is done, she exhales shakily, turning her head slightly towards Chloe, who is watching with concern. Beca feels the doctor moving in again to start the sutures, and she continues to focus her eyes on Chloe's, loving how intensely blue they are and how Chloe can convey just how much she loves Beca through just a glance. They had been through a lot over the years, and Beca knew that Chloe always had her back no matter what. So did Aubrey. This was just one of the millions of reasons that Beca loved them so much.

"You're doing great babe." Chloe whispers, leaning over to check the doctor's handiwork before resting her chin on the rail of the stretcher and smiling. "Looks like one, maybe two more sutures, and then you'll be done."

"Ow…fuck." Beca whines, as the doctor pokes a tender area. Her jaw clenches a few more times, and she tries to focus on the soothing feeling of Chloe's thumb along the skin of her wrist.

After a few moments both women are breathing sighs of relief as the doctor finishes up, cleansing the wound and wiping away most of the dried blood before placing some antibiotic ointment and a bandage over the injured area.

"Okay, looks like you're just about good to go." The doctor starts. "Don't get that area wet for a day or two. You have a concussion, so take it easy and no driving for a couple days. If you have any worsening headache or blurry vision, come back right away." He passes them some paperwork and gives them his blessing to leave.

Beca sits up on the edge of the bed, feeling slightly dizzy at the change in position. Chloe notices, immediately reaching out and placing a steadying hand behind Beca's upper back.

"Take it easy Beca."

The dizziness passes, and Beca gingerly stands up, testing out her legs for a second before feeling good enough to head over to the stroller and pushing it towards the door. Chloe's hand finds hers and they head down the hallway toward the exit.

"Let's get you two home and into bed." Chloe says quietly, giving Beca a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

Aubrey has heard all about Beca and August's misadventures through a series of text messages from Chloe throughout the day, and when her day in court finally adjourns, she is immensely relieved to be able to head home to make sure everyone is okay. For some miraculous reason, traffic isn't as bad as usual, and she makes it home in record time, quickly parking her car and heading into the house to assess the state of affairs. As per usual, Reggie is the first one to greet her, and Aubrey (who has a secret soft spot for the gentle dog) makes sure to give him a brief scratch before going in search of the rest of her family. The house is quiet, likely indicating that at least one of the occupants is napping, and Aubrey slips off her heels before heading toward their bedroom. The lights are off except for one bedside lamp, but as she peers into the large room, she sees her family together on the bed. Chloe is reading a book, looking perfectly adorable with her new pair of reading glasses, and Beca and August are sprawled out beside her, both on their backs and sleeping soundly. With a soft smile, Aubrey enters the room, causing Chloe to look up from her book.

Aubrey slips off her blazer and drapes it over the back of a chair before heading over to Chloe and perching next to her on the edge of the bed. Both women lean in, kissing each other sweetly in greeting.

"How's everyone doing?" Aubrey asks quietly, glancing over to where her son and girlfriend seem to be dead to the world.

Chloe follows her gaze, putting down the book to reach over and run her fingers through a few strands of Beca's hair. "They're okay." She sighs. "Gus had three shots and Beca ended up with seven stitches and a concussion."

Aubrey's brow raises worriedly, noting for the first time that Beca has a crimson stain of dried blood on her flannel shirt. Her eyes travel upwards to the bandaged area with a large bruise blooming in the area surrounding the injury. August is still in his onesie, and Aubrey takes in the small collection of band-aids that cover the areas where he had received his vaccines. It's not really funny, but Aubrey can't help the small giggle that suddenly escapes when she realizes that Beca and August have matching bandages. Its kind of pathetically adorable.

"They match Chloe." Aubrey runs her fingers over August's thighs before pointing at the bandage on Beca's brow.

"Awwww. That's actually kind of adorable." Chloe reaches over to pick up her phone and snap a quick picture of her matching loves. "How much will Beca kill us if we post this to Instagram?"

Aubrey contemplates this question for a second, but notices Beca's eyes fluttering open. "I heard that Beale." Beca says groggily. She rolls onto her side, scowling and shooting her girlfriends a glare. "Don't you dare." Her eyes shut again. "Besides, I'm extra badass now. I've heard chicks dig scars."

Aubrey laughs, getting to her feet and walking around the end of the bed. She untucks her blouse and pulls her hair from the tight bun it has been in all day. Shaking it out and exhaling in relief, she slips into the bed behind Beca, kissing her cheek a few times before wrapping her arms around the brunette's waist.

"I don't know about Chloe, but I dig you, scars or no scars." Aubrey whispers, feeling Beca relax into her embrace. "Go back to sleep Beca."

Beca mumbles a sleepy "love you" and drifts back into sleep, and the small family spends the rest of the evening napping blissfully.


	4. D-Day

It was a regular night in the Beale-Mitchell-Posen household. All three women had come home from work and settled into their regular routine, first making dinner and then settling onto the couch to relax and watch some tv. As per usual, Beca and Aubrey settled into their usual routine, bickering about what show to watch for several minutes while Chloe watched, a smile playing on her face as she laughed at their nightly antics. She attempted to find a comfortable position on the couch, which was not an easy task given her sizeable thirty-five-week baby bump. Propping a couple pillows behind her back, she relaxes back with a quiet groan and brings her feet up to rest on the coffee table.

Aubrey hears her quiet groan and turns to Chloe, distracted enough for Beca to snatch the remote out of her hand with a triumphant fist pump.

"Hah!" Beca hops off the couch and scurries to the oversized chair beside the couch, hoping to distance herself to prevent Aubrey from retaliating. "Suck it Posen!" She points the remote at the television and cues up her favorite show.

Aubrey rolls her eyes as she gently places her hand on Chloe's swollen stomach. "You okay?" She rubs her palm along the firm skin, hoping to soothe some of Chloe's evident discomfort.

Chloe sighs but smiles gratefully at the blonde beside her. "I'm just _very_ over being pregnant. I feel huge and my back is really bothering me today."

Aubrey smiles sympathetically and leans in to kiss her pregnant girlfriend. "Only a few more weeks and then he'll be here." She pulls her hands away from Chloe's stomach, settling on the couch beside the redhead, getting comfortable and reaching to pull Chloe's feet from the coffee table to rest in her lap. A blanket is tossed their way, landing on Aubrey. She huffs indignantly, shooting a look at Beca who just shrugs innocently at her. Aubrey quickly spreads the blanket over her and Chloe, noting that Chloe still looks mildly uncomfortable. Beca presses play at that moment and Aubrey's attention switches to the television for the time being.

Chloe tries to focus on the show that is playing, but the uncomfortable twinges in her back are distracting. She had been having them all day, but they seemed to be gaining in strength and regularity as the day wore on. It had been busy enough in her veterinary clinic today that she was able to distract herself with her work, but now that she was home she was honestly starting to think that maybe she had been in labor all day. Chloe tries to push that thought out of her mind, reminding herself that she still is five weeks from being full-term. There was no way she was in labor, right? Feeling another painful cramp, she tries to sneakily check her phone to check how much time had passed since she had felt the pain. Five minutes. _Well shit_ – Chloe thinks to herself. Had she really been in labor for the majority of the day?

Glancing to the women sprawled out beside her, she wonders if they should head to the hospital. Chloe knows her water hasn't broken, but these pains seem to be getting worse. Not wanting to freak out Aubrey and Beca, she focuses her attention on the tv show playing and tries to relax as much as she can. As the minutes pass, she tallies several more contractions throughout the course of the tv show, and she is just about to ask her girlfriends to take her to the hospital when she glances over and sees Aubrey fast asleep beside her. Aubrey had been putting in extra hours in at her law firm preparing for an upcoming case and had been coming home exhausted in the evenings. As the credits start to roll, Beca looks over from where she is curled up in her chair, a knowing grin on her face when she realizes that Aubrey is fast asleep. Beca knows it's early, but she can sense that both her girls need some sleep and goes to help Chloe up.

She sits down on the coffee table in surprise when she sees Chloe's eyes shut tightly as a grimace appears on her face. Leaning in, she reaches out and grasps Chloe's upper arm, waiting until the moment passes, and she sees the painful expression on Chloe's face disappear. Chloe lets out a shaky breath and her eyes come up to meet Beca's, her bottom lip between her teeth worriedly.

"You okay Chlo?" Beca knows something isn't right.

Chloe waits a few seconds, not wanting to cause panic but with each minute that passes she is realizing that it is time for them to head to the hospital.

"I think I'm in labor." Chloe replies softly, her hands moving to rub along the sides of her belly. She looks up again, trying to gauge Beca's reaction.

To her credit, Beca appears to remain calm at Chloe's admission. "O-kay…" She glances over at Aubrey who is still sleeping, knowing that things are likely going to escalate quickly once they wake Aubrey and tell her what's going on. "You're sure? Doesn't he have, like, five more weeks in there?" She moves her hands to where Chloe's are still rubbing along her stomach, and places them over Chloe's, stilling her slow movements.

"Yes, well, it seems as though our little guy is more impatient than we'd like." Chloe tries to smile, but she can feel the nerves building with each moment that passes. She wasn't particularly looking forward to going through labor, but she knew it would all be worth it once their son was finally here. It had been a tough pregnancy, and although Chloe was apprehensive about the birthing process, she couldn't wait to meet the little guy who had been growing inside her for the past eight months.

"He's not even born yet and he already has the punctuality of a Posen." Beca mutters, rolling her eyes at the idea.

Chloe can't help but giggle at Beca's statement, but her laugh is interrupted by another contraction. She closes her eyes and tries to steady her breathing, feeling one of Beca's hands kneading gently on her lower back as she does. The pain passes, and when Chloe looks up she sees Beca looking at her with concern in her eyes.

"Holy shit. You're in labor." Beca runs a hand through her hair and stands up from her position on the coffee table. She holds a hand out and helps Chloe to her feet. She immediately pulls the taller woman in for a kiss, sighing gently as she pulls back and rests her forehead against Chloe's. "We're gonna be parents Chlo." Beca's heart does a little flip when she realizes what she just said. "I can't wait to meet him." She swallows against the lump that is quickly forming in her throat as tears start to gather in her eyes. Brushing them away quickly, she takes a moment to collect herself and pulls back from her girlfriend. "Okay, let's get you to the hospital. Go ahead and head to the car and I'll get our stuff." Quickly kissing Chloe's temple, she takes a few seconds to try and quell the rising nerves and emotions that are threatening to break through.

"What about Bree?" Chloe asks as she turns to go find a pair of shoes. She knows that Aubrey is likely going to go into panic mode immediately.

"It's fine babe. Go get ready. Let me handle it." Beca glances over her shoulder to make sure Chloe was headed to get ready and taking a deep breath to steady herself, squats down in front of where Aubrey is still sleeping on the couch. "Bree? Time to wake up." Beca runs her hand gently along Aubrey's thigh, urging her girlfriend awake, satisfied when she sees Aubrey's green eyes blinking sleepily at her. Beca tries to not be distracted by the way Aubrey's eyes soften when she realizes Beca is the one waking her up.

"Mmm bedtime?" Aubrey stretches and lets out a tiny yawn. She smiles tiredly when Beca reaches forward and runs her fingers through Aubrey's hair.

"Yeah...not quite." Beca tries to maintain her composure. "Okay Bree, I need to you stay calm, okay?" She groans internally when Aubrey sits straight up on the couch, already looking decidedly _not_ calm. "Chloe is in labor and we need to head to the hospital."

"What?" Aubrey's eyebrows shoot upwards in disbelief and panic. "She's only thirty-five-weeks! It's too soon!" She pushes the blanket off and stands up, nearly upending Beca in the process. "Okay, no one panic. Let's get a move on." Her green eyes display her panic, but Aubrey's jaw is set in determination as she attempts to put on a calm front for her girlfriends.

Beca catches herself, but not before she smacks her shin against the coffee table. "Shit." She follows Aubrey to begin to gather their belongings. "No one panic…says the one panicking." Beca says under her breath, picking up the car keys from their place in the bowl on the kitchen counter. Pocketing them, she heads down the hallway to help Aubrey and Chloe. As the three women swiftly gather the necessary items, each one contemplates the ways in which their lives are going to change in the coming hours.

* * *

"Oh gross." Beca whispers, watching as Chloe's water immediately breaks as she is attempting to move from the wheelchair to the hospital bed. She notices how Aubrey pales at the sight, and Beca knows that the rest of labor is going to be tough for all three of them. "Well, I guess this means you'll be needing this." Beca holds up the hospital gown that had been draped over the end of the bed in preparation for their arrival. Chloe immediately clutches the rail of the hospital bed, leaning over and reaching out for Aubrey's hand as another contraction hits.

A nurse enters the room, taking in the sight of the three women beside the bed. "How far apart are the contractions?"

"Between four and five minutes." Beca replies over her shoulder, unable to tear her eyes from Chloe, who is still clutching the bed and Aubrey's hand. Chloe's long exhale signals the end of the contraction, and she gives a nervous smile to the other women in the room.

"That one was the first that hurt. The others have been uncomfortable to this point." Chloe admits to the nurse.

The nurse nods, closing the door to the room before holding out the gown for Chloe. "Let's have you get changed and settled in the bed. What time did the contractions start?"

Chloe pauses, taking her lip between her teeth. "Um, around nine." She takes the offered gown and begins to get undressed, not wanting to make eye contact with either of her girlfriends.

Aubrey's head snaps up. "This morning? You've been having contractions since this morning and didn't think to tell us until just now?" She is clearly in disbelief and begins to pace the perimeter of the hospital room.

"Well I didn't realize I was in labor Bree. It just felt like back pain." Chloe tosses her shirt and bra onto the bed and slips on the standard blue hospital gown, then bends down gingerly to slip off her now soiled sweatpants and underwear. Straightening back up, she looks up and sees Beca reach out and grab Aubrey's hand, effectively stilling her anxious pacing. Beca leads Aubrey to the chair that is positioned beside the hospital bed and gently but decisively pushes the blonde down into it. Chloe pulls the blanket back on the bed and climbs in as gracefully as she can in her extremely pregnant condition.

"It's fine Chlo." Beca rests her hand on Aubrey's upper back, immediately feeling the tension coiling in her blonde girlfriend's body. She rubs small circles between Aubrey's shoulders, trying to ease some of the tension there. "So, what's next?" She asks the nurse, who is currently strapping a fetal heart monitor onto Chloe's stomach.

A quiet but rapid swooshing sound suddenly fills the room, and the gravity of the situation suddenly hits all three women. The sound of their child's heartbeat reminds them of where they are and what is happening. The nurse smiles at the expressions on the three women's faces and continues to move around Chloe's bed, getting Chloe settled and hooked up to several different monitors.

A few minutes later their obstetrician has arrived and has examined Chloe and decreed her to be at four centimeters dilated. There is a brief conversation about what to expect over the course of the next several hours, and basically the game plan is to hurry up and wait for Chloe's labor to progress. Chloe has another contraction as they are discussing pain management and Beca and Aubrey's eyes are suddenly glued to the screen displaying the contraction as they silently will it to pass quickly. The doctor and nurse whisk out of the room, assuring they would be back in a while to check on them, and the three women are left in the room by themselves.

Beca can feel that Aubrey has relaxed a miniscule amount and moves to sit at the foot of Chloe's bed. She takes a minute to look at the various medical equipment spread around the room and feels her heart beginning to beat faster as she thinks about what the next several hours have in store for them. Leaning back against the hard plastic at the foot of the hospital bed, she rests one hand on Chloe's ankle.

"Is it just me, or are you guys freaking out a little?" Beca asks nervously. "Like, we're gonna have a baby."

The smile that appears on Chloe's face is genuine, but the one on Aubrey's face seems slightly forced and disappears as quickly as it appeared. This situation was overwhelming for Aubrey, that much was easy to see.

"We're all allowed to be freaking out." Chloe replies, looking down at the sheet that is covering her. "I'm about to push a baby out of my body." Her hands move to rest on either side of her belly. "We're going to finally meet him." She looks up at Aubrey, who meets her gaze with eyes glistening with tears. "Give me your hand Bree."

Aubrey complies and allows her hand to be placed on one side of Chloe's stomach, while Chloe reaches to place Beca's on the opposite side. Chloe then rests one hand over each of her girlfriend's, looking from the blonde to the brunette.

"Everything is going to be fine." Chloe says quietly. "I'm so thankful to have you both by my side as we do this. I love you both so much and I can't wait to be mommies with you." Her last word is choked out in a sob, and she can feel the tears threatening to fall. Chloe is honestly terrified to experience the rest of labor, but she knows she can do anything with the two women by her side. She feels a tear slipping down her cheek as Aubrey leans in and kisses their joined hands before kissing a spot a little lower on her stomach.

Aubrey has a tender expression on her face when she looks up again, although apprehension is still present in her eyes. "I love you Chloe. I don't think I have adequate words to express how grateful I am that you are giving us a son."

"It's pretty fucking great." Beca chimes in, and her statement is so perfectly _Beca_ that both women can't help but smile in reply.

A sharp intake of air clues them into the fact that Chloe is in the midst of another contraction, and Beca and Aubrey can feel the tightening in Chloe's belly as their hands rest on either side of her. They quietly coach her through the contraction, reminding her to breathe as the contraction passes.

"It's going to be a long night, isn't it?" Chloe sighs once the contraction has passed.

Beca smiles sympathetically and leans forward to kiss Chloe's cheek. "Yeah, I think so."

* * *

Chloe's labor progresses slowly but surely throughout the night, and no one really is relaxed enough to get any rest. Aubrey and Beca attempt to get some rest on the cot that has been set up in the room, but neither woman feels right sleeping when Chloe is currently laboring like a champ. Beca notices a distinct change in Chloe's demeanor when she is seven centimeters dilated and beginning to enter transitional labor. She can _feel_ that Chloe is in pain with every contraction that happens. Around 3am the anesthesiologist stops by to confirm that Chloe wants to labor naturally, forgoing an epidural for pain control. In the midst of a powerful contraction, all Chloe can do is clench her jaw and nod in confirmation. Around 4am, Aubrey has taken to pacing around the room, her nervous energy radiating throughout the room as she does. Beca tries to remain by Chloe's side, sweeping her hair back when she needs it and offering a hand for Chloe to clutch when she needs it. With each contraction, Beca can feel her heart clench as she watches Chloe fight through the pain.

Chloe is nine centimeters dilated and starts to quietly moan with each contraction when Aubrey stops pacing the room anxiously, no longer able to be away from her girlfriend and desperately wanting to be able to comfort Chloe in some way. Beca is now sitting in the chair beside the bed, allowing Chloe to clutch her hand with each contraction, and as Aubrey moves to stand beside the bed she notices the worried look in Beca's dark blue eyes as they flash up to meet Aubrey's. Aubrey knows that now is the time to step up, willing herself to get out of her own head and be there and support both her girlfriends as they all deal with the intense process that is happening. Truthfully all the emotion of the past several hours coupled with the knowledge that Aubrey will soon be responsible for a tiny baby is a lot to take in. But one glance at the expression on Beca's face as well as Chloe fighting through another intense contraction, flushed and sweaty, Aubrey decides to "sack up," as Beca would say, and moves closer to the bed as a truly horrifying moan makes its way out of Chloe. Beca's eyes snap up again, and Aubrey just gives her a reassuring nod, hoping her determined expression translates to the woman sitting across the bed. Leaning in, she kisses Chloe's flushed cheek and brushes back some of the sweaty strands of hair that have escaped Chloe's messy bun. She lets her hand cup Chloe's cheek and rests her forehead against Chloe's sweaty one, being close enough to hear Chloe's labored breathing as she does.

"You're almost there Chloe. You can do this, okay?" Aubrey pulls back and hold's Chloe's gaze for a few seconds, her heart breaking as she can see the exhaustion and pain in Chloe's eyes.

Chloe can only respond with a brief nod as she is too exhausted for words, her head falling back against the pillow as she tries to rest between contractions.

* * *

The sun is just beginning to rise when the OB/GYN checks Chloe's cervix for the last time, declaring her to be fully dilated, and there is a flurry of activity as a couple nurses enter the room and prepare for the imminent delivery. Beca and Aubrey remain on either side of Chloe, who is grateful to clutch each of their hands as the nurses coach her through what to expect as she starts to push. As difficult as suffering through over twenty-one hours of contractions was, as Chloe begins to push she begins to realize that _pushing_ _is_ _no joke_. With her chin to her chest, she bears down with each contraction, her brain briefly registering Aubrey counting down from ten as her entire body strains with the effort of attempting to birth their son. As her head falls back against the pillows during a brief reprieve between pushes, Chloe hears Beca's voice whispering encouragement as she rests a cool washcloth against the back of Chloe's sweaty neck. She isn't sure how much time has passed, or how many pushes she has fought through, but the immense pain and pressure that Chloe is feeling signals their son crowning before their OB/GYN announces it.

"Oh my god Chlo. You're so close. Just a few more pushes." Beca's lips brush against her temple with a final few words of encouragement.

Exhaling shakily, Chloe screws her eyes shut tightly and clutches the hands in hers and bears down again, this time feeling an excruciating burning sensation as she does so. The pressure intensifies, and she vaguely hears the doctor telling her to stop for a second. Her breaths coming in gasps, she opens her eyes and notices Aubrey and Beca looking worriedly toward the foot of the bed where the doctor was moving.

"Everything is fine ladies." The doctor says calmly from his position between Chloe's legs. "Baby had the cord around their neck, but I've just remedied that problem. A couple more pushes and you'll be meeting your little guy."

Chloe's heart begins to hammer in her chest more rapidly than she's ever felt before. On cue, another contraction begins to ramp up, and Chloe bears down for hopefully the last time, exerting the small amount of energy left in her depleted body as she desperately yearns to meet their son in a few short moments. With a strangled cry that seems to fly from her mouth, she suddenly feels relief from the onslaught of pressure, and not two seconds later the tiny cries from their newborn son break the tension.

Chloe hears a choked sob from Aubrey and the entire world seems to grind to a blissful halt when their son is placed on her chest.

"Holy shit." Beca whispers reverently. "He's here."

Chloe's cheeks are now covered in a mix of sweat and tears, and she blinks back more tears as she cradles the baby against her, her eyes roaming over his ten perfect fingers and his perfect face as she realizes that everything she ever wanted is here in this moment. Chloe is surrounded by the two women who she loves more than anything in this world, and now this tiny, perfect manifestation of their love has entered their lives, and Chloe doesn't even know how she got lucky enough to deserve any of this. She chokes back a shuddering sob as Aubrey tentatively reaches out to stroke her finger along the baby's fist. Letting her head fall back against the pillows, utterly depleted, Chloe allows the blissful feelings to wash over her, taking a few moments to compose herself as she contemplates what just happened. Beca's hand joins Chloe's, resting along their son's back, and Chloe turns her head slightly to watch as Beca leans forward and kisses August's head. Beca's eyes are swimming with tears as she leans her forehead against Chloe's before capturing Chloe's in a kiss.

"He's here." Beca murmurs, reaching out and pulling Aubrey in gently with a hand on the back of her neck so their foreheads are all touching. "He's here, he's perfect, and Chloe you are a total _badass._ "

Chloe laughs, and she returns her gaze to the baby on her chest as she feels Aubrey's fingers tenderly wiping some of the tears from her face. Her heart clenches again when August's eyes open and close as he blinks sleepily, adjusting to being in his new environment. Aubrey sniffles beside her, and Chloe looks up at her blonde girlfriend, her face streaked with tear tracks but a tender smile gracing her beautiful face.

"I love you so much." Aubrey whispers, running the backs of her fingers tenderly along Chloe's jaw. "Thank you for making me a mother." She leans in and kisses Chloe before pulling back and watching as one of the nurses begins to wipe down their son.

"Congratulations ladies." The nurse says with a friendly smile. "Born at 6:43am. Does he have a name yet?"

Beca shares a look with her two girlfriends as she rubs her hand along the baby's back, her smile widening as his eyes open again and she gets her first glimpse of his blue eyes. She looks up to the nurse as she brushes her tears away with her free hand and clears her throat, attempting to dislodge the lump that had formed there over the past several minutes since their son made his appearance.

"August. August Mitchell Posen."


	5. Mommy and Me

**Shoutout to all of you who are sending me awesome comments on this story so far. It's been fun to write for sure. Keep on reading and keep on enjoying!**

* * *

It's a gorgeous day in October, and the temperatures had been unseasonably warm. It's Saturday, and Aubrey is sprawled out in a lounge chair on their back patio, enjoying the warm sunshine as she waits for August to finish his nap. Although Aubrey was disappointed that Chloe and Beca had been unexpectedly pulled away to their respective workplaces for the afternoon, she was excited to have a relaxing day to spend some one-on-one time with August. Having just turned two, he was a rambunctious little guy, and Aubrey was planning on spending the rest of the afternoon at their favorite park so he could burn off some energy.

Aubrey is engrossed in her book, but after a little while the mid-afternoon sun becomes too warm, so she heads back into the house to go check and see if August has woken up. It's quiet as she makes her way toward his room, stopping in the master bedroom for a few minutes to change into a cooler outfit and to slip on a pair of sandals. Satisfied that her new outfit would be appropriate for the park, she makes the trek down the hallway and slowly opens the door to August's room, peering in for a few seconds before deciding to fully enter the room. A smile blooms on Aubrey's face as she sees her son sitting up in his crib, one fist rubbing at his eyes sleepily as his other hand clutches his favorite blanket.

"Hi handsome." Aubrey crosses the room to the crib. "Did you have a good nap?" As she gets closer she notices that he has somehow managed to lose one sock over the course of his nap, his left foot totally bare. She watches as he yawns but pushes himself to his feet and stands up, clutching the rail of his crib with one hand as he waits for Aubrey to take him out of the crib. Leaning down slightly, Aubrey picks him up under the armpits and holds him on her hip, rubbing his back with her hand as he buries his face into her shoulder.

"Mommy. Hi." August says sleepily, rubbing his face against Aubrey's shoulder.

Aubrey can't help but realize how heavy he is starting to feel in her arms. Now that he was two, he was starting to grow into a little person, and it was a little bittersweet to take in. At two, he was a sturdy little guy, full of energy, and with a head full of luscious light brown curls that none of his parents wanted to cut because then he would look like a little boy and not their baby. Aubrey runs her fingers through his hair, which is slightly damp from sleeping in the warm room. Wanting to spend a few moments cuddling with her son, Aubrey moves to the chair beside the window and sits down, settling August comfortably in her lap. One of his hands clutches at her t-shirt, and he sighs contentedly as he rests against Aubrey. She smooths back some of the damp hair from his forehead and kisses the newly exposed skin there.

"Snack?"

Aubrey chuckles at her son's sleepy question. She should have known that this would be his sole focus, even after just waking up. He had clearly inherited Beca's appetite.

"Well, I was thinking we could go to the park, and have a little snack there. How's that sound?"

August pulls away from her shoulder and looks decidedly more alert now that he has heard they are going to his favorite place. "Park!" He raises his arms above his head triumphantly, making Aubrey smile at his excitement.

"Alright then, let's get you changed and then we'll head to the park." Aubrey gives her son a smacking kiss to the cheek, enjoying as August squirms against her, before setting him down on the ground and watching as he takes off as fast as his toddler legs can take him, one tiny bare foot and all.

* * *

Aubrey, August, and Reggie arrive at the park a short while later, after enjoying a leisurely walk through their neighborhood on the way. It's still warm, but given that it's a Saturday, the park is relatively full of kids and parents. Aubrey comes to a halt next to one of the large oak trees that borders the playground and pulls Reggie's leash from her wrist before looping it through the handle of the stroller.

"Lay down Reg." The dog follows Aubrey's command, settling beside the stroller obediently as he takes in their surroundings. He's a good dog, and Aubrey would normally feel comfortable letting him off leash, but given the park is so crowded today, she decides that keeping him tied up is for the best.

August is attempting to climb out of the stroller to check out the action, and Aubrey catches him just in time as he stands up in the stroller impatiently.

"Swings!" His chubby finger points toward his favorite park activity, and Aubrey settles him against her hip and starts to make her way over to the set of swings. Placing him in the rubber seat, she steps behind her excited son and begins to push him gently.

"More mommy!" August calls out, shrieking excitedly as he turns his head to make sure Aubrey hears his request.

Aubrey laughs too at the sound of her son's infectious giggles, and acquiesces, giving her son a few stronger pushes and watching as the swing climbs higher with each push. Pulling out her phone, she takes a few pictures as well as a short video and sends them to Beca and Chloe, knowing they'll both be more than happy to see what Aubrey and August have been up to so far. She puts her phone back in her pocket and pushes August a few more times, enraptured by her son's blatant enjoyment of the swings, throwing his arms out on either side as he flies back and forth through the air. Aubrey loves watching her son like this. These blissful moments were moments she so desperately craved in her younger years but was sure she would never get to experience. Sure, her life with Beca and Chloe was wonderful before they became parents, but now that they had August, Aubrey's life had been enriched in ways she never anticipated. Being a parent was truly one of Aubrey's greatest joys, and she considered herself lucky each day she woke up to her beautiful family. August was such a light in their life, and as the three women had begun to discuss the possibility of expanding their family again in the near future, Aubrey couldn't help but wonder if they would be so lucky a second time.

August was truly the product of all three women, even if biologically he was only one of theirs. Physically, he took after Chloe, with his sparkling blue eyes and a smile that would light up any room. That smile got him out of a lot of trouble, because Beca and Aubrey both found themselves not being able to resist the Beale charm that exuded from that damn adorable smile. His favorite word at the moment was "dude" which Beca thought was the greatest thing since sliced bread. He also loved music, and especially loved impromptu living room dance parties, which reminded his mothers of their college days. August also was an intelligent and inquisitive little boy, but was starting to show signs of being stubborn, which Aubrey knew was going to be a problem as he grew older. He had also clearly inherited his love for snuggling from Chloe and loved to snuggle with all three of his moms as much as possible, a fact that delighted all three women to no end. As he grew older, Aubrey loved seeing aspects of his personality developing each day, although she selfishly wanted him to stop growing up so fast.

"Down mommy." August calls out, clearly wanting to move on to other areas of the playground.

Aubrey plucks August from the swing and sets him down on the ground. With a gentle pat to his bottom, she watches as he takes off toward the sandbox. Following behind slowly, Aubrey cringes internally, knowing that he would be covered in sand in no time. She should be used to messes now that she's the parent of a two-year-old boy, but Aubrey still struggles to deal with the messier aspects of life with their son. She can hear Chloe's voice in her head telling her to relax and let August be a kid, but Aubrey knows a bath is definitely in her son's near future once they get home. She watches as he plops down in the middle of the sandbox and begins to pick up handfuls of sand. Aubrey doesn't want to get too dirty, so she sits down on one of the benches a few feet away from the large sandbox, content to watch her son playing for a few minutes.

Aubrey glances over to where their stroller is parked, making sure that Reggie is still behaving himself, and is not surprised when she sees the dog resting happily in the grass, panting as he takes in his surroundings in his relaxed fashion. Turning her attention back to the sandbox, she notices that an older woman is now sitting on the opposite end of the bench.

"It's such a beautiful day. My grandchildren begged me to bring them here and I just couldn't say no." The woman says, turning to Aubrey with a friendly smile.

"It certainly is." Aubrey replies with a polite smile.

"Which one is yours?"

Aubrey points to where August is squatting several feet away. "That's my son, right over there." As if on cue, August turns around, his chubby face lighting up as if he just remembered Aubrey is there and runs full tilt into his mother's legs. Aubrey catches him with a laugh, peppering his face with kisses as she brings him up onto her lap. "This is August, he just turned two."

The woman smiles. "Well, he's certainly very handsome. He must take after his father."

Aubrey stiffens at the woman's comment. "He takes after my girlfriend actually." She runs her fingers through August's curls before smoothing back the hair from his forehead. "She carried him." Aubrey still isn't quite used to fielding questions about her personal life, so she hopes her answer is enough to satisfy the woman.

A strange expression appears on the woman's face, and she nods curtly in response. "Oh. I see." She studies Aubrey for a few seconds, then switches her gaze to August, and Aubrey suddenly has the need to pull her son protectively against her. "So, he's not your biological son. I wondered, because he looks nothing like you. That's a very nice thing you're doing…helping raise your girlfriend's son."

For some reason, this flippant comment makes Aubrey's blood begin to boil. Not wanting to get into the specifics about her family or give this ignorant woman any more time of day, Aubrey stands, settling August on her hip. "I'm not _helping_ _raise_ anyone. He's my son." Feeling the heat rising in her cheeks, Aubrey turns and starts to walk away, not caring about how the woman begins to apologize as she does so. She strides over to a different area of the park, wanting to be as far away from the situation as possible, and puts August down, feeling very flustered as she watches him take off toward one of the small slides. As much as she tries to put the interaction out of her mind, she can't help but replay the woman's comment in her head over and over. She numbly follows August around the playground, keeping up with her energetic son as he toddles around trying to see as much of the park as possible.

Soon enough, August seems adequately tired out, and Aubrey places him back in the stroller for the walk back to **the** house. She is still upset over the interaction with the woman and is lost in her thoughts as they make their way down the quiet neighborhood streets. When they are halfway home, a familiar redhead appears, walking towards them with a wide smile.

"Mama!" August calls from the stroller.

Aubrey smiles too, taking in the sight of Chloe who is still in her scrubs after being called into work for an emergency surgery. She accepts Chloe's kiss in greeting.

"Hey my loves!" Chloe's smile grows wider as she lifts August from the stroller and settles him against her hip. She reaches out and takes Aubrey's hand as they continue their way toward home. "Did you have fun at the park?"

August gives Chloe a big smile as he nods, wrapping his arms around Chloe's neck before resting his head against her shoulder.

"Sorry I got tied up at work. I was hoping I'd get to join you at the park for a bit." Chloe gives her hand a gentle squeeze, eliciting a brief smile from Aubrey.

"Have you heard from Beca?"

"Oh, yeah, I just called her on my drive home. She said she should be finished in the next hour and she'll grab some pizza on the way home." Chloe nuzzles her face against August. "How's pizza sound Gus?"

August wiggles happily in Chloe's arm as he raises his arm in the air, apparently very excited about pizza for dinner. "Yes dude!" He shouts, nodding his head emphatically, making both women laugh at his antics.

Chloe and Aubrey make their way back to the house chatting about their days, however Chloe notices that Aubrey is more subdued than usual, meaning that something is likely bothering her. As they enter the house, she sets August down, watching as he immediately takes off chasing Reggie down the hallway, and she makes a mental note to check in with her girlfriend later to make sure she's okay.

* * *

A few hours later the Beale-Michell-Posen household is sufficiently stuffed full of pizza, and Chloe and Beca have taken August up for his nightly bath. Aubrey is cleaning up the dishes from dinner, enjoying some peace and quiet after a decidedly silly dinner with her family. Entering the kitchen with a stack of plates and some silverware, she turns on the sink, filling it with warm soapy water and beginning to clean the dirty dishes. Her mind drifts back to the interaction with the woman in the park and she frowns, remembering just how a couple of comments from a total stranger ignited such an angry reaction in Aubrey.

Aubrey is somewhat startled when she feels a pair of arms wrapping around her waist and a soft kiss against the back of her neck. Turning her head slightly, she sees Chloe's auburn hair and relaxes into the embrace as she finishes washing the last two plates.

"You're quiet tonight." Chloe starts, as Aubrey places the last plate in the drying rack and shuts off the faucet. "Everything okay?"

Aubrey reaches for the towel on the counter and dries her hands with a gentle sigh. Once her hands are dry she turns around, wrapping her arms around Chloe and breathing in the familiar scent of her girlfriend.

"Someone made a comment today at the park…and it bothered me. That's all."

Chloe frowns. "What did they say?" Her fingertips start to move along Aubrey's back, attempting to ease whatever pain Aubrey was feeling.

Aubrey pulls back slightly, chewing on her lip. "She…just said that she knew that August wasn't mine because he didn't look like me. And…and that I was a 'nice person' for helping to raise someone else's son."

Chloe moves one of her hands to the back of Aubrey's neck, squeezing gently as she leans up to give her a gentle kiss. When she pulls back, she can see the hurt evident in Aubrey's eyes.

"First off, that lady is a total bitch."

A quiet laugh escapes Aubrey's mouth before she can prevent it even though she can feel tears burning in her eyes. Chloe's fiery personality never failed to take her by surprise.

"And second, the opinions of strangers at the park don't matter. At all. Because Gus is your son. He's _your son_ Bree. Sure, he lived in my body for eight months and I gave birth, but you and Beca are his mothers. I see you with him and I know just how much you love him Aubrey. You and I both know that you would do anything for him. He's our child." Chloe kisses her again. "And fuck anyone who says differently."

Aubrey's eyebrows raise at Chloe's use of the word fuck. That was a word typically reserved for Beca's lexicon.

"Look Bree…I'm sorry that lady said that to you. But all I know is that not ten minutes ago Gus flat out refused to get in the tub until we promised him that you'd be up to tuck him in." Chloe tucks an errant strand of blonde hair behind Aubrey's ear. "He wanted to know that mommy was going to be there for bedtime. And like, if we need to talk about legally making him all of ours, we can do that. You're a lawyer for Christ's sake Aubrey. We'll figure it out." Chloe strokes her thumb along her jaw tenderly. "But you're his mommy. And no one can take that away from you."

Aubrey lets out an exhale, feeling the tension she had been holding in her body release as she takes in Chloe's words. Wrapping her arms more tightly around Chloe, she nuzzles in against Chloe's neck, feeling the warmth and love and support from her amazing girlfriend.

"I love you." Aubrey murmurs, her words somewhat muffled against Chloe's neck. "Thank you. For somehow knowing the perfect things to say to calm me down."

Chloe kisses her temple in response. "I love you too Bree. Thanks for being an amazing girlfriend and the perfect mommy to our son."

"I think they're talking about me Gus. I heard something about an amazing girlfriend." Beca smirks as she enters the kitchen with their freshly bathed son in her arms, in clean pajamas with his curls slicked back neatly in the most adorable way.

Aubrey rolls her eyes good-naturedly, but her heart warms when she sees the way that Beca was looking at her. Beca never failed to use humor to lighten situations, and while it used to annoy Aubrey it was now one of her more endearing traits. She pulls her arms from around Chloe and holds them out to accept August from her brunette girlfriend. She kisses him on the cheek, enjoying the scent of his baby shampoo and bubble bath.

"Gus realized we were missing a couple key players in the bedtime routine." Beca leans against the counter as she takes Chloe's hand in hers. "You know we can't sing the special bedtime song without mama and mommy." She winks at Aubrey. "That three-part harmony is key mommy."

Aubrey shifts August on her hip and smiles as she follows her girlfriends down the hall, thoroughly happy to spend another precious bedtime with the loves of her life and their son.


	6. Baby Fever

Beca slides her aviator-style sunglasses up onto the top of her head as she slips out of the SUV, taking care to not spill the cup of coffee in her hand. It was mid-afternoon, and she was taking an impromptu break from another long day in the studio to surprise Chloe with coffee for a few minutes. She had sneakily called the veterinary clinic earlier in the day to check in with one of the receptionists and find a time where Chloe had a short break in her schedule and had been excited to learn that her girlfriend would have about a half hour of free time. Beca had been putting in long hours the past couple of weeks and was feeling guilty about missing out on quality time with Chloe and Aubrey. She was hoping to be able to do something nice for each of her girlfriends today to try and earn some brownie points with her ever-patient and loving girlfriends.

Pocketing her keys, Beca makes her way across the parking lot and into the clinic, pulling open the door where Chloe's name is emblazoned on the frosted glass along with the other veterinarians that practiced there. _C. Beale, DVM_. Beca always stops to take a second and read the small letters on the door, feeling immense pride for her girlfriend each time she does. Chloe worked hard in vet school, and now that she has been out for a few years, Aubrey and Beca had enjoyed seeing the fruits of her labor paying off, as Chloe had been hired on at a thriving veterinary practice. She had received nothing but rave reviews so far, although Beca always knew that this would be the case. Beca loved to surprise Chloe at work every so often, whether it was to bring her coffee, or a snack, or just for a few minutes to say hi. It was fun for Beca to be able to see her girlfriends in their elements, and it made Beca happy to see Chloe happy with her career.

"Hey Beca." One of the friendly receptionists whispers loudly in greeting, trying to keep quiet to not draw attention and ruin Beca's surprise appearance. "She's finishing up in exam room two, she should be out soon."

Beca grins and waves in response. "Thanks Corinne. I'll just wait over here." She gestures toward the far corner of the waiting room, and heads over to lean against the wall. Crossing her ankles casually, she pulls out her phone and shoots Aubrey a quick text to see how her day is going. Just as she sees that Aubrey is about to text her in reply, one of the exam room doors opens, and Beca immediately hears her redheaded girlfriend's voice. A middle-aged woman exits the room, followed by a young child awkwardly cradling a small puppy against her body. Beca can't help the smile that spreads across her face as her favorite redhead appears behind the little girl. Beca pockets her phone and watches the interaction, not wanting to disturb Chloe from finishing up with her patrons.

Chloe kneels next to the little girl and reaches out to stroke the puppy on its head a few times.

"Okay Miss Gracie, you're doing such a good job taking care of Beau here. Make sure you help your mommy feed him and walk him every day."

Beca watches as Chloe gives the little girl an encouraging smile, and Gracie returns it with a look of awe on her face, clearly happy with the praise that Chloe had just bestowed upon her. Chloe reaches into the pocket of her scrubs and pulls out a small treat.

"Here's a little treat for Beau for being so brave. He's very lucky to have such a good owner to take care of him." Chloe hands the treat to Gracie, before reaching into her other pocket and pulling out a lollipop. "And here's a treat for you too. I know Beau will grow up to be a big and strong doggy as long as you make sure to give him lots of love. Right?"

Gracie nods emphatically. "Thanks Doctor Chloe!" She smiles widely, and Beca notices the adorable gap where Gracie is missing her two front teeth. Chloe straightens up and gives the little girl a pat at the top of her blonde head, and Beca's heart does a funny flip as she watches the young girl give Chloe a high-five as she joins her mother at the reception desk.

"Come back and see me again soon, okay? I bet Beau will be super big the next time I see him." Chloe waves as the duo makes their way out of the building with their puppy in tow, and Beca watches another one of Chloe's dazzling smiles appear as she hears Gracie yelling "Bye Doctor Chloe!" as they exit the building. Beca kind of hates how adorable the entire exchange she just witnessed was, but most interactions with Chloe are adorable in some way. But seeing Chloe interacting with Gracie was new for Beca, and something about the interaction made Beca's heart ache in an unfamiliar way.

Oh shit. Was this what they called baby fever? Did it count as baby fever if it was in response to an extremely adorable child interacting with her extremely adorable and beautiful girlfriend? Wasn't Beca too young to be experiencing baby fever? The questions start to flood Beca's brain as she attempts to quell the feeling in her chest, but she is blissfully spared from further rumination when Chloe turns back toward her office and notices Beca standing there.

"Beca? What are you doing here?"

Beca pushes her prospective baby fever thoughts out of her head and focuses on the gorgeous scrub-clad woman who has pulled her in for a hug. Beca holds the coffee carefully away from Chloe and wraps her free arm around her waist to return the embrace.

"Hey Chlo. I needed a break and thought I'd surprise you for a bit." Beca pulls back and gives Chloe a chaste kiss on the lips. "Plus, I brought you a mid-afternoon caffeine pick-me-up." She holds up the cup of coffee, which Chloe takes immediately.

"Aww thanks Becs. I'm glad you stopped by." Chloe kisses Beca on the cheek in thanks and takes a sip of the coffee. "I have a bit of a break, want to come back to my office for a few?"

Beca is still kind of shocked at her recent reaction to Chloe with the kid, so she just swallows and nods, then follows her girlfriend down the hallway and into her office. As they enter Chloe's office, Chloe moves her purse from the chair beside her desk and motions for Beca to sit down, then perches herself on her desk so she can sip her coffee and chat with Beca.

"So, how's your day going?" Chloe asks casually as she sips her coffee. "Any particular reason you came to see your favorite veterinarian?"

"Its going." Beca replies with a brief smile. "Just needed a bit of a break from the studio. We were going stir-crazy." Sighing quietly, she slouches in the chair and rests her head against the back. "I feel like I haven't seen you or Bree at all this week, and it really sucks."

Chloe smiles sympathetically and places her coffee down beside her. "Yeah, it does feel that way, doesn't it?" She reaches out for Beca's hand and links their fingers together. "But, you're here now, and I don't know about you, but my day is already better." She shoots Beca a cheeky wink, and Beca feels herself relax after just a few moments in Chloe's company.

Beca brings their hands up so she can kiss the back of Chloe's, her lips lingering for a few seconds as she holds eye contact with Chloe's bright blue eyes. "My day is already better too." She lets their hands drop to rest on her thigh. "Have you talked to Aubrey at all today?"

"We texted a bit this morning. I think she had a meeting with a client this afternoon, so she thought she would maybe be home a little later than usual."

Beca nods. "I think I might actually make it home at a relatively normal time tonight. Maybe we can order some takeout and just veg out on the couch for the night."

"Netflix and chill?" Chloe raises an eyebrow suggestively, and Beca knows exactly what that look means.

"Mmm, yeah. That. Emphasis on the _chill_ part, right? Although…I think the chilling part happens in bed."

Chloe laughs and takes another sip of her coffee. "I'm so glad I shaved my legs this morning then." She gives Beca another coy look over the plastic top of the coffee cup.

Beca laughs too as she gets up from the chair and moves to stand in front of Chloe. Leaning in, she tangles her fingers in Chloe's hair and pulls her in for a kiss, tasting the caramel flavored coffee on Chloe's lips. After a few blissful moments, she pulls back with a quiet groan and rests her forehead against Chloe's. "I need to get back to work."

Chloe pouts, but gives Beca a quick peck on the cheek. "I don't know how I'm going to focus on work after you just kissed me like that."

Beca smiles as she pulls her keys from her pocket. "Just think about all the other things we can do besides kissing tonight. And those things also include a certain smoking hot blonde, so that's my motivation for the rest of the day."

Chloe straightens her stethoscope around her neck and pushes off the desk with a distracted look on her face. "Ok, I'm kicking you out. Go…I'll see you tonight." She leans in to kiss Beca one last time, and with a grin she gives the shorter woman's ass a teasing squeeze.

"Dammit Beale, you fight dirty." Beca starts to back out of Chloe's office, shaking her head at the giggling redhead as she does.

"Yup. But you love me anyway."

Beca rolls her eyes but can't help as another smile spreads across her face. "You're right. I do." Twirling her keyring around her index finger Beca exits the office. "See you tonight, you gorgeous specimen!"

* * *

Much later in the evening, the three women are naked in bed, passing around containers of takeout as they take a reprieve from ravishing one another. Relaxing back against the headboard with her belly full, Chloe takes in the sight of her two girlfriends spread out across the bed, and grins appreciatively. Aubrey is sitting primly beside her, her long legs cross-legged and lean body on display as she nibbles from the box of noodles that Chloe had just handed her. Beca is sprawled out on the end of the bed on her stomach, propped up on her elbows with her ass deliciously on display as she plucks another dumpling from one of the cardboard takeout boxes.

"You guys, I'm pretty sure this is my idea of heaven on earth." Beca says around a mouthful of dumpling. Swallowing, she continues. "I mean, I'm in bed, naked, with my two stunning and equally-as-naked girlfriends, eating takeout. It doesn't get much better than this."

"And orgasms babe. Don't forget the orgasms." Chloe chimes in, raising her hand to comb through her unruly mass of curls which had been mussed from their earlier activities. She watches as a blush spreads across Aubrey's pale skin at the mention of orgasms. "I feel like I need a nap before round two. Or, at least some time to digest."

Aubrey sets the container of noodles down on the table beside the bed and curls up beside Chloe, pressing a quick kiss to Chloe's hip before resting her head on Chloe's stomach and sighing contentedly as Chloe's nimble fingers tangle gently in her blonde hair and start to scratch lightly at her scalp.

"Mmm that feels good Chloe." Aubrey's eyes close, but she feels the bed move as Beca slides into position on Chloe's other side. She feels lips pressing against her forehead and she isn't sure which one of her girlfriends it is, but she doesn't really care either. "This is definitely an improvement after meeting with that dirtball client for four hours. What kind of self-centered, arrogant pig refuses to pay his child support but buys vacation homes in Miami and Aspen?" Aubrey can feel her blood boiling as she thinks about the smarmy asshole she was forced to interact with in her office today.

Aubrey had spent most of her afternoon meeting with a client who was trying to claim he didn't have to pay child support to the mother of his young children. Being in family law, Aubrey often saw the best and worst sides of people, but she would never for the life of her understand why some people refused to take responsibility for their children. Her parents may have been emotionally unavailable, but at least they gave her the things she needed to be successful in life.

"He sounds like a total douchebag." Beca mutters from where she is curled up against Chloe.

"Yes. And that's putting it nicely." Aubrey replies. "How anyone would procreate with that man is beyond me."

Beca and Chloe chuckle, knowing that Aubrey occasionally needs to blow off steam when she has difficult cases that she is dealing with. They don't mind her venting, they're used to it by now. Chloe continues to scratch her fingernails along Aubrey's scalp lazily, watching as the frown on Aubrey's face begins to disappear after a few moments.

It is quiet as the three women rest lazily in the tangle of sheets, feeling sluggish from their recent exertion in combination with the food they had just consumed. Beca rolls slightly so she is flush against Chloe's body, kissing her collarbone as she does so. With a happy sigh, her eyes close, and she allows herself to daydream. The interaction between Chloe and the child at the veterinary clinic crosses her mind again, and before she can stop it, Beca's mind begins to drift as she thinks about what kind of parents they would be if they ever had kids. The subject had never really come up yet. After college, there was law school and vet school for Aubrey and Chloe, and Beca had shot to unexpected fame after her demos made it into the hands of a producer. They had spent the past several years in a whirlwind, each woman advancing her career as they made a home together on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Life had been so busy, and they were very content in their relationship with each other, so the topic of children hadn't really come up. But tonight, the idea of having a kid wouldn't leave Beca's mind. Sure, sex had been a welcome distraction for a couple hours, but now that she allowed her mind to drift, it went right back to dreaming of babies that looked like her girlfriends.

Fucking ovaries.

Opening her eyes, Beca glances over at her girlfriends, and before she can stop it, has blurted out a question that will forever change their lives.

"Do you guys ever think about kids?"

It is quiet for a moment.

"You'll have to be more specific Beca." Aubrey says quietly.

Beca worries her lower lip between her teeth, unable to stop her train of thought. "You know…having kids. Us…having kids."

Chloe smiles easily at the idea but is somewhat surprised that Beca is the one to bring it up, given that she is the youngest of the three. Pulling her arm from around Beca's back she cups Beca's chin and lifts gently so that she is looking into her dark blue eyes that are full of apprehension.

"Yes. I think about kids. More specifically, I think about having kids with you." When Chloe sees the apprehension turn to tentative happiness in Beca's eyes, she bends down and kisses Aubrey's forehead. "And you." She straightens back up and shrugs. "With both of you." The way she says it so casually is perfectly Chloe, as if she had never considered any other possibility.

Aubrey opens her eyes with a sigh and stares at the ceiling. If she is being honest with herself, she is on the fence about having children. She pulls herself into a sitting position and pulls her legs beneath her, looking nervously between Beca and Chloe as she gets comfortable.

"I'm…I'm not sure."

Chloe immediately notices how Aubrey's eyes won't meet hers or Beca's and knows she needs to stop whatever spiral is happening in Aubrey's head. "Hey." She reaches out and takes Aubrey's hands in hers, squeezing gently. "It's okay if you're not sure. Just talk to us."

Beca sits up as well, nodding in agreement. "Chloe's right. This is good. We should talk about this. How have we been together for almost eight years and this hasn't come up?"

"I'm just surprised that you're the one that brought it up." Chloe replies, somewhat surprised to see the blush that spreads over Beca's cheeks. "Not that it's a bad thing, I just always figured Bree or I would get baby fever before you since we're older."

Beca groans and leans forward to bury her face in Chloe's shoulder. "Goddamn baby fever. Ever since I saw you and that adorable kid today at work I can't stop thinking about having little Chloe's or Aubrey's running around our house!"

Chloe laughs as Beca lets out another groan and wraps her arms around Chloe's waist. Beca turns her face to the side and tucks her head under Chloe's chin.

Aubrey allows herself to smile briefly as she contemplates snuggling a mini Chloe or a mini Beca in her arms. The idea is more appealing than she lets herself admit.

Chloe giggles as she sees the dreamy expressions on both her girlfriend's faces. "I think we're all imagining the same thing." She turns to Aubrey and watches as her expression fades to worry. "What are you thinking Aubrey?"

Aubrey sighs again and squeezes her eyes shut. "I'm worried I won't be a good mother." Her shoulders slump and her eyes open so her gaze fixes on the rumpled sheets beneath them.

Chloe is opening her mouth to reply when she feels Beca's hand on her thigh stopping her.

"Aubrey…Bree…look at me." Beca moves her hand from Chloe's thigh and reaches across to rest it on Aubrey's cheek. "Here's the thing, that's bullshit." Aubrey's eyes flick up to hers and Beca sees the tears that are threatening to spill. Beca runs her thumb gently along Aubrey's cheek. "If you truly don't want to have children, that's fine. But I think you're scared. And that's fine. It's a scary thing. But if you think it's because you won't be a good mother, then I'm sorry, I call bullshit." A tear begins to make its way down Aubrey's cheek and Beca wipes it away. "I love you so much Aubrey. And Chloe does too. You're my family. You give so much love to me and make my life so much more amazing than I could ever have anticipated. I have no doubt that you would be an awesome mom."

More tears start to slide down Aubrey's cheeks, and Chloe reaches out a hand to rub softly along Aubrey's back. Chloe knows where some of Aubrey's insecurities about being a parent come from, but she fervently believes in everything Beca is saying right now.

"Aubrey." Chloe starts. "I'm not saying that we should have a baby tomorrow. And I don't think Beca is either."

"Nope. Pretty sure it doesn't work like that anyway." Beca replies with a grin, hoping to lighten the mood somewhat. "I feel like there's more planning involved."

Chloe grins too. "Let's talk more about it over the next few days." She reaches up to cup the back of Aubrey's neck softly. "We can explore our options later if it's something we all decide we want to do."

Brushing back her tears hastily, Aubrey looks up and sees nothing but honesty and love in Chloe and Beca's eyes. With a gentle nod, she leans forward and kisses Chloe first, and then Beca, feeling her anxiety disappear with each second that passes. Pulling back, she allows herself to be pulled down to snuggle against Chloe once again. Chloe's fingertips trail down her back, tracing gentle patterns along her fair skin. Reaching out, she links her fingers with Beca's and rests their joined hands along Chloe's stomach.

"Do you really think I'd be a good mother?"

"I think you'd be a great mother." Chloe replies. "Our kid will be lucky to have three great mothers."

"Kid? Just one?" Beca pouts, looking up at Chloe for confirmation.

Aubrey can't help the giggle that escapes as she looks over at Beca. Squeezing her hand gently, she gets Beca's attention. "Let's start with one. For now."

Aubrey's shy smile brings back that funny feeling in Beca's chest from earlier in the day.

"Yeah?"

Aubrey's response comes in the form of a kiss, and Beca can't stop her heart from fluttering uncontrollably as she thinks about having a baby with the two loves of her life.

* * *

 **Sorry it took me so long to update this. Life has been crazy lately, between finals of my summer classes, getting sick, and a recent breakup. That shit all sucked, but life is back to normal for the most part, so I'll be trying to update more regularly. Thanks to all of you who are following this. It's been fun to write so far.**


	7. Big Brother

**Hi guys! Here is the next installment of this story. I'm thinking maybe 3 more chapters to this story, with a nice even 10 chapters. If you have any requests you'd like to see, I'll try and accommodate. I will very likely have a pregnant Beca at some point in the next few chapters, as some of you have expressed interest.**

 **As always, thanks for reading and for your lovely comments. I truly appreciate it! Also, for those of you in the US like me, Happy Thanksgiving (in a couple days). Hope you all eat lots of turkey and spend time with your families!**

* * *

Beca is sitting at her workstation in her home office, attempting to finish a demo of a song. She is stuck on the bridge of the song, and groans frustratedly as she jams the pause button several times. Bending down, she places her forehead down along the desk, hoping that genius will strike at any minute. In her peripheral vision there's a pale flash beside her and a small giggle that makes her smile in response.

"Gus…you're supposed to be finishing your movie in the living room."

Lifting her head from the desk, she stifles a laugh when she sees her son, clad in only his Batman undies bouncing excitedly from foot to foot beside her. There is mischief dancing in his blue eyes, and Beca can only wonder where the rest of his clothes had gotten to.

"Come play with me?" Four-year-old August looks up at her as he steps closer and buries his face in her hoodie. "When's mama gonna be home?"

Smiling sympathetically, Beca hits the save button on the track she's been working on and smooths a hand through August's recently shorn hair. "Mama went to visit mommy in the hospital Gus. She should be home after dinner."

"I miss them."

Aubrey was thirty-one weeks pregnant with twins and had been on bed rest for the past couple weeks. A few days ago, her blood pressure was so elevated that her OB/GYN had admitted her to the hospital for strict bed rest until she delivered. The pregnancy had been hard on Aubrey's body, and all three women were hoping for an uneventful rest of the pregnancy and an easy delivery. Everyone was hoping that she would make it to at least thirty-six weeks to deliver the babies. The twins had been a surprise. The pregnancy was of course planned, but no one expected the second bonus baby showing up on the second ultrasound, but Beca, Chloe, and Aubrey were over the moon at the prospect of expanding their family. August still wasn't sure what to think of everything, but he understood that his mommy had babies in her tummy and had to stay with the doctors until the babies were big enough. The separation had been tough on him, and with Chloe and Beca trying to balance things at home with spending time with Aubrey at the hospital, things had been chaotic as of late in the Beale-Mitchell-Posen household.

Lifting her son into her arms for a quick cuddle, Beca sighs as she wraps her arms around his small body. "I miss them too, bud." She kisses the top of his head as he nuzzles further into her, his fingers playing with one of the strings on her hoodie. "Wanna see if we can FaceTime them?"

August nodded, brightening at the idea that he would be able to see his other mommies. He loved Beca of course, but he would never turn down a chance to call any of his moms.

"Okay, hang on a sec." Beca secured one arm around her son as she stretched awkwardly in her seat to pick up her phone from the workstation. Fumbling one-handed for a second, she pulls up Chloe's contact info and touches the screen to connect a FaceTime call. Grinning as August begins to squirm excitedly in her lap, she kisses his cheek as the call finally connects and Chloe's beaming face appears on the screen.

"Hi my loves!" Chloe waves excitedly at the two adorable brunettes on the screen, giggling as she watches her son cheesing for the camera. "We were just thinking about you guys."

"Mama!"

Beca laughs at August's dramatic greeting. He was acting as if he hadn't seen Chloe for several days when in fact she had only been gone for a few hours. Peering at the screen, she watches as Chloe moves around for a few moments before settling in next to Aubrey in the hospital bed. Beca's smile softens as she takes in her two girlfriends resting comfortably against one another, with the gentle swell of the twins in Aubrey's belly evident underneath the blue hospital blanket.

"Hey baby mama 2.0." Beca teases. "How are Thing One and Thing Two doing?"

Aubrey looks tired, clearly already bored with the hospital bedrest, but rubs a hand gently along her stomach as she smiles back at the camera. "They're active today. Ever since Chloe showed up, they have been moving nonstop."

The picture shakes as Chloe moves from where she is resting her head on Aubrey's shoulder to give Aubrey a sweet smile and a gentle kiss. It stabilizes once again as Chloe shifts the phone so she and Aubrey are both still in frame, and Beca feels torn between wanting to continue cuddling her son in her lap and wanting to be cuddling Aubrey in the hospital bed, feeling their growing babies moving underneath her palms.

"We're missing mommy a lot today, huh Gus?" Beca kisses the top of August's head again in reassurance.

Aubrey waves into the camera and blows August a kiss. "I miss you so much August. I need some cuddles from our sweet boy."

August's lower lip is beginning to tremble and Beca's heart breaks for the little guy. He was taking the separation really hard, not understanding why his three mommies weren't home with him like they usually are. He looks up at Beca with his baby blues shining with tears, and Beca knows she's about five seconds away from dealing with a sobbing little boy.

"Do you guys think mommy will be up for some more company?" Beca wraps her arms more firmly around Gus and tries to give a look to Chloe through the camera. "Gus and mom here have a lot of kisses that we've been saving up for mommy, right bud?" August blinks some of the tears away but nods solemnly. "What do you think Chlo? Is it alright if we stop by for a bit?"

Chloe quietly confers with Aubrey but quickly nods her assent. "How about you bring Gus by for a few minutes to see Aubrey and then you and I trade places. I'll take Gus out for some special mama and Gus time."

"What do you think Gus? Wanna go visit mommy for a few and then go on a special date with mama?" She chuckles as he perks up considerably at the idea, beginning to bounce excitedly in her lap again. "But first things first, where'd your clothes end up? You're turning into a little nudist, my man."

Chloe laughs on the other end. "I was going to ask about that. When I left, he was fully dressed."

Aubrey giggles too, watching her half-naked son squirm in Beca's lap. "He's a free spirit just like his mama."

Chloe rolls her eyes good-naturedly. "Oh sure, blame that on me. But you can't blame these two wild things on me." She places her hand low on Aubrey's belly and immediately feels one of the babies kicking against it. "These are all you Bree."

Beca misses the retort that comes from Aubrey as she hoists Gus into her arms and settles him on her hip. "Okay, we're gonna get ready and head over in a little bit. I'll call you when we're there, okay?"

Chloe smiles in response, and both women give waves which are returned by Beca and August. "See you soon!"

Beca disconnects the call and heads down the hallway with her son in tow to begin to get ready. She's definitely excited to spend some time with Aubrey and based on the way August is squirming in her arms, he is too. "Okay Gus…where'd you leave your clothes?"

* * *

Chloe watches Gus sprint into the room and laughs as he immediately scrambles to climb into the large hospital bed with her and Aubrey. Half intercepting him so he won't jump on Aubrey's belly and half helping him along, she grabs him under the armpits and hoists him into her lap, immediately kissing his grinning face.

"Hi handsome."

Aubrey had been resting quietly after having fallen asleep, but she is overjoyed to awaken to the sight of her son snuggling against Chloe as she kisses him. Rubbing her eyes briefly, she notices Beca casually leaning against the door frame to her hospital room and watching the scene unfolding. Aubrey smiles softly at her girlfriend and pushes herself gingerly up in the bed so she can better visit with her family. Turning her head to face August, she leans forward to nuzzle against his soft cheek, pressing a gentle kiss there as she does.

"Hi sweet boy." Aubrey has desperately been missing her son, so being able to visit, even if she couldn't hold him in her arms was better than seeing him over a FaceTime connection. "I missed you so much." She runs a hand through his soft hair. Beca has made her way over to the bed and leans in for a gentle kiss on the lips, making Aubrey sigh contentedly.

"Mommy I missed you too." Chloe pushes him up so that he can wrap his arms around Aubrey's neck without putting any weight on her stomach. "Why don't you stay at home anymore?"

Aubrey's heart clenches at the innocent question. "The doctor says I have to stay here until the babies in my tummy are a little bigger." She takes one of August's hands in hers and kisses it gently before resting it along her stomach. "Your sisters are making mommy a little sick, so the doctor needs me to stay here to make sure we're all okay."

August's tiny brow furrows, trying to make sense of what his mother is saying. His small fingers slide over the rough hospital blanket distractedly. "I don't like the babies." Pulling his hand back he shyly nuzzles his face into Chloe's neck.

"Oh Gus…" Chloe frowns at the two women who are surprised at his uncharacteristic behavior but soothingly begins to rub his back slowly.

"The babies make mommy sick." Chloe's heart clenches at the statement from their son. Pressing a kiss to his temple, she gently pries the little boy from where he is wrapped around her and sits him in her lap, so he can see all three of them.

"Sometimes that happens Gus. But it's not their fault," Beca starts, "You made mama pretty sick too when you were in her tummy."

Chloe wrinkles her nose, remembering the six or so solid months of nausea and vomiting. Whoever named it "morning sickness" was lying, as she had felt miserably nauseous essentially 24/7 when she was pregnant. "But its okay, because we were so excited to meet you." She gives the boy an encouraging smile to try and coax him out of this mood. "Just like we are excited to meet your sisters."

Gus emphatically shakes his head, and with another pout (which Beca and Aubrey immediately know is the spitting image of his redheaded birth mother) he turns his head into Chloe's shirt once again.

Aubrey frowns and reaches out to stroke August's arm. "August, use your words. Tell us what is making you sad." She feels like crying herself when she sees his little body start to shudder as he clings to Chloe.

After a few moments, August pulls his face from Chloe's body and wipes his hand along his face, which is now streaked with tears and mucus from his runny nose.

"I don't wanna share." Another sob wracks the little boy's body and he sniffles a few times as his blue eyes fill with more tears. "Mommy's gonna have _two_ babies. Who's gonna give me cuddles?"

The three women have various reactions to his confession. Beca tries to cover a sympathetic smile behind her hand as she moves to perch next to Chloe by Aubrey's feet, so she can be closer to her family. Chloe pulls her son close into her chest, kissing the crown of his head as she rubs his back to comfort him. Aubrey feels the tears building in her eyes, as even his simple four-year-old logic had made her realize just how much of an adjustment it was going to be for August to go from being an only child to having two infant sisters in a couple months. Wanting to reassure her son, she gives Chloe a teary smile and strokes her fingers down his flushed cheek.

"August…look at mommy please." When his reddened eyes connect with hers, Aubrey leans in to give him a gentle kiss on his forehead. "We love you so much. Mama, mom, and I have so much love to give you, and having your sisters isn't going to change that, okay? We promise." Stroking a hand through his light brown hair, she waits as August sniffles again and settles against Chloe with a shudder. "There will always be someone to give you cuddles."

"Your sisters will even give you cuddles too, buddy." Beca chimes in with a grin. "Once they're big enough."

August wipes his face on Chloe's shirt as he looks at Beca skeptically. "Really?"

"Definitely." Chloe confirms. "Gus, just because our family is a little bigger doesn't mean that we love you any less."

"We could never love you any less, little dude." Beca wraps one arm around Chloe and pulls both her girlfriend and son in for a side hug. "I know things are going to change around here once your sisters get here, but we love you so much. And that never will change."

August sniffles a few more times but eventually calms down, reassured by the words his mothers are gently speaking to him as well as the physical touches that his mothers so freely and lovingly give him. He eventually begins to pull away from Chloe and Beca and reaches out toward Aubrey. "Cuddle me?"

"Always." Aubrey smiles widely as Chloe gently situates August next to her with a gentle reminder to be careful of his mommy's tummy. She sighs as the familiar warmth of her son settles against her and she instinctively wraps a comforting arm around her little boy as he gingerly snuggles into her side. "We love you August."

August nuzzles his face against her neck the best he can, and sighs as he melts comfortably into his mother. "Love you too."

All three women melt a little when they see his small hand move to rest on top of Aubrey's swollen stomach, on top of where his twin sisters are currently growing into tiny humans.

* * *

Six weeks later, the Beale-Mitchell-Posen family welcomes Lucy Elizabeth and Emma Jane into the world, weighing just over five pounds each. Beca, Aubrey, and Chloe are completely over the moon, but no one turns out to be more excited about their arrival than August, who steps into his role as a proud big brother from the very moment he is propped up against Aubrey in the hospital bed with Beca helping him hold his two tiny sisters. Once the family of six is home and settled, they ease into a controlled chaos, alternating between sleeping, feeding, and changing diapers, as well as caring for their ever-rambunctious four-year-old. Aubrey handles breastfeeding two infants like a champ, but she is immensely grateful for the help of her two amazing girlfriends, who tag team most everything else.

A few weeks later, Aubrey wakes when the baby monitor crackles to life, the sounds of one of the twins (probably Lucy, who suffers from colic) crying echoing through the otherwise quiet bedroom. Reaching out to gently still Chloe who is beginning to stir, Aubrey presses a kiss to Chloe's tousled hair before gingerly getting out of the bed. Padding through the darkness, Aubrey follows the much-traveled path into the nursery, gently pushing the mostly-closed door open into the room that is illuminated by a nightlight. Just as she enters the room and is about to move toward the crib on the right, where Lucy is whimpering, her eyes notice a huddled form on the floor. Moving closer, her heart swells when she recognizes the familiar blue fleece blanket and well-loved teddy bear. August is curled up on the floor between his sisters' cribs, sound asleep.

Aubrey is startled when a body collides with hers, a pair of hands instinctively wrapping around her waist to prevent her from falling.

"Sorry babe." Beca is yawning as she tries to figure out why Lucy is still crying. She wipes her eyes as she peeks around the taller woman and into the nursery, her eyes following Aubrey's gaze to their son. "Oh my god…that's so cute."

Another tiny cry comes from Lucy's crib and Aubrey closes the rest of the distance so she can scoop the infant into her arms. Lucy snuffles in her arms for a few seconds, her eyes blinking sleepily as she settles against Aubrey's chest. As Aubrey begins to rock gently from side to side, hoping to soothe her daughter back into sleep, she turns and watches as Beca kneels down, gathering their sleeping son into her arms. Burdened by the dead weight of the sleeping boy, Beca grunts quietly as she straightens back up. Walking over to Aubrey, she leans down and presses a soft kiss to the crown of Lucy's head before pecking Aubrey lightly on the lips.

"I'm gonna put him back in his bed." Beca motions toward the door with her head, yawning widely as she does. "You okay in here?"

Aubrey smiles tiredly but nods in affirmation. Looking down to the sleeping infant cradled against her rumpled pajama top, then over to the crib where Lucy's twin is sleeping peacefully, and then back at the sweet sleeping boy in her girlfriend's arms, she can't help but feel deliriously happy.

"I'm perfect."


End file.
